The Chronicles of Keladry, Shang Phoenix
by AdrianAndroid
Summary: Keladry is rejected by Lord Wyldon. Kel goes to the Islands to learn of the Shang way. But she gets into more than she expects when her coachman is shot by a tranquilizer dart... previously titled The Chronicles of Kel
1. Rejection

Chapter 1: Rejection

"You sent for me, my lord," she said.

Lord Wyldon sighed and turned. "Sit down, girl."

Kel hesitated, then sat.

Wyldon absently massaged his right arm. " I want you to listen to me. I speak to you as I would to my daughters."

Kel blinked at him, startled. She supposed that she knew that Lord Wyldon had a wife and family, but she had forgotten it. I was hard to imagine him with any other life other than that of training master to the pages and squires.

"Consider the future. Soon your body will change. The things that you want from a life as a maiden will change. Pursue the course you have, and you might be crippled by an accident." He looked at his right arm and smiled crookedly. "What if you come to grief or cause others to do so, because your thoughts are on your heart and not combat? This year was the easiest."

_You think so?_ she asked him silently. _It wasn't your year, was it?_ She opened her mouth to reply.

"Not now," he said, raising his hand. "Do not answer me now. Go home and think about it." He sighed. "You are dismissed."

She had to hear him say it. "I can't come back, then."

The training master's face was unreadable. "Keladry, as of this evening, I formally discharge you from further page duties. Serve Tortall as a lady of standing and grace. There are things other than knighthood that are in high esteem. May the Goddess and Mithros bless you, for all the days of your life. You are dismissed."

Kel felt a sinking feeling in her heart, a grief and hurt that she knew would not fade for a while, perhaps even never. "Good night, Lord Wyldon." She bowed, did a crisp about face that even Lord Wyldon would have been proud of, and marched from the room, head high. Outside his office, she felt a wave of queasiness sweep over her. She turned and pressed her hot face to the cool stones of the wall. She was now shaking with suppressed anger. _What had Lord Wyldon been thinking? Didn't he know by now that she was one of the best in her classes? Didn't he understand how much she wanted to be a knight? No, _she thought. _He would never understand. He was born into a high standing family. He was welcomed into the knighthood_. She strode with quiet purpose to her room and began packing.

Climbing up the stairs to Master Numair's room, she knocked on the door. Not to her surprise, Daine answered it. "Oh, hello, Keladry, how are-" seeing the look in Kel's eyes, she faltered. "Oh dear. Why don't you come in? I was just preparing some tea." Kel nodded numbly. She entered the room. It was rather large. A hearth fire crackled warmly. One door led to Numair's study and private rooms, while the other led to his mage's workroom. Sitting on an oaken stool beside the fire, she gratefully accepted the cup of herbal tea. Sipping at the warm liquid, she felt the heat from the fire and her drink slowly warm the icy grip of anger on her heart warm and thaw. Daine sat down on a chair beside her. "So, what brings you here? Is there something wrong? Numair just finished a working; he'll be here shortly." Kel shrugged. "I'd rather the both of you hear what I have to say, if you don't mind my company." Daine nodded, already guessing what the younger girl had to express.

A string of trills interrupted their conversation. Kitten, or Skysong, loped over to Kel. Sniffing her, Kitten leaped up into Kel's lap. Startled, Kel nearly dropped her tea. Knowing full well that dragons were as intelligent as humans, probably even more so, she slowly lowered her hand to Kit's side and ran her hand over the smooth, shimmering sapphire scales. The dragon let out a rather odd sound. Studying the two intently, Daine absently murmured, "That's her purr. She must like you." Usually Kit didn't really associate with humans. Daine wasn't all that surprised at her behavior though. Kit was one who liked to be complimented. A door creaked behind them. "Hello, Keladry. I must say, your results on the exams were promising. They were in the top scores. Did you have to talk to me?" Numair lounged in a wooden chair. Kel inwardly smiled sadly. She probably wouldn't see Numair for a while. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't get the words out. Daine gave Numair a swift glance. "Keladry, if you have something to say, we are want to listen." Kel nodded. Looking up at the two of them, she murmured, "Lord Wyldon said no."

Quiet sympathy settled over Daine's face. She had listened to the sparrows and the small palace creatures. She had learned of Kel's perseverance, her determination. The sparrows told her parts of their conversations, in which Keladry would tell them about her troubles. She heard about Kel's raids against hazing and her protection of the small. Daine laid a gentle hand on Kel's shoulder. Kel looked up. "If I may ask a favor, Lady Sarrasri?" Daine nodded. "Could you please watch over the sparrows? And, if, by any chance, could you- Peachblossom-" An odd look flashed across Daine's face, quickly to fade. Kel continued, "If you could please buy Peachblossom? I know I'll pay you back, it's just that, well, with Adie and Orie, them being of age to marry-" Daine nodded. "I'll see what I can do." Kel nodded in wordless thanks, then turned to Numair. "Master Numair, may I ask a favor?" He nodded, his face emotionless. "I heard that you make special paper, the kind that can record a message from me, with my image and everything. May I have such a paper? I think I have enough for it…" She fumbled in her money pouch. Numair produced a blank scroll from the folds of his robe. "Here you are. No charge, considering the circumstances. Now, let me show you how to use it."

Kel laid the small cedar box in Neal's room. It was filled with individual letters, addressed to each of the study group's members, along with her general letter. Sealed with a simple blob of wax, each letter was personal, giving Kel's last words to each person. The letter to Neal was longest. Then she turned and walked from the room. Striding outside, she mounted her horse provided by her family, and left, accompanied only by a palace guard to her parents' town house. Just as the gates were shutting, she heard a shout behind her. "KEL!" turning slightly in the saddle, she saw her friends, from Neal to Faleron, from the prince to Cleon, running towards her. For an instant, she let her Yamani mask fall, and a single tear slid down her cheek. She and the group of pages knew it. They would never reach her before the gates shut. Without bothering to wipe her eye, she raised a hand in farewell as the ancient gates shut upon the horrified, desperate faces of her friends.

Neal stood alone as the remainder of their group left to their rooms, each clutching a roll of parchment. He had left his in his room, sitting alone in the cedar box. Several drops of water fell on his head. He stood alone in the courtyard as the warm rain, strange and fierce, fell upon the castle. He stood and remembered, saw the face in his mind, _her _face. The sorrow in her eyes, the single tear that ran down her cheek. The emotion in that single moment, the feeling that passed the distance and reached into his heart. Neal stood silent as the warm rain fell on Corus, then turned to gather the others to have them listen to Kel's last message to all of them.

Lord Wyldon sat in his office, looking outside at the rain that was falling. Did he do the right thing? Was it right to ban Keladry from the knighthood? He leaned on his windowsill and watched the warm rain fall on the city of Corus.

The boys sat in a circle, Kel's scroll in the middle of their circle. Neal held out a green-glowing hand and touched the seal. It came apart as it recognized the fire of his Gift and the scroll unrolled itself. Suddenly, a image glittering with black fire appeared before them. It was Kel. She was three-dimensional, yet somehow transparent. She raised a hand in greeting.

"Hello, Neal, Seaver, Merric, Cleon, Prince Roald, and everyone. By now I've probably left. This is a message that Master Numair helped me with earlier. I have some words to say to all of you. Don't hold Lord Wyldon at fault. He did what he thought was best, for Corus and for Tortall. Now, I probably won't see you for a while; I don't plan on returning to Corus anytime soon. Neal, I want you to take care of the sparrows. Daine will be helping with them too. I'm sure she'll enjoy the company. " with that, the image of Kel winked. Neal flushed to the roots of his hair. "I want you all to know this. You have been my dearest friends, the best I could hope for. Keep on working hard at classes, and don't forget about your vegetables. Keep Joren on a tight rein, and _please_ don't get mad if he insults me again. It's inevitable, you know. Try not to get beaten up too badly, and if you look under the creaky floorboard in the stables, in the very last box that no one uses, I stored some bruise balm in there. Now, I have come to the end of my speech. I want you to know, even if this has happened, its happened for a reason. Keep the realm safe, my friends, for even though I may not be there, I know that you will succeed. The future of Tortall rests on our generation, believe it or not, and our decisions may even have lasting effects. Yet, that's enough of speeches and heroics." The image of Kel gave a smile. "I want you to know this, my friends. Live life to the full, and may Mithros bless you and bestow courage in battle, be it the fight against hazing or knight's war, may the Goddess look upon you and smile, and may all the gods bless you abundantly, for surviving with me for this long. So mote it be" the boys echoed her. "So mote it be." With that, the image of Kel winked out, and the scroll re-rolled itself, the black seal glimmering with black fire reappearing. Another person, standing in the shadows in the hallway, watching Kel's entire message, echoed the words. Lord Wyldon wondered (after he watched the boys tell various stories about their adventures with Kel) as he strode back to his rooms, _did I do the right thing?_

The rain fell for three days. The weather-Gifted were not able to explain the phenomenon. They claimed to be blind to the approach and were strangely unaware of the start of the storm. When it finally abated, the entire city, from palace to deepest slum, was washed clean. Whitewashed walls shone and plants flourished.

Deep in the Divine Realms, a council of select gods was called. Mithros, high on his throne, looked down at his siblings. The Great Mother Goddess looked fit to burst. Marching right up to her brother's throne, she confronted him, regardless of the fact that every god in the room was staring at her. "Mithros! You have let your followers get too out of hand! Who put it in Wyldon's mind to get rid of Keladry? Why-?" Mithros held up a hand. "All shall be explained in time, sister. I fear I have been keeping my plan from you. I have called our brothers from the Yamani Islands, for this also concerns them. And now, my sister, here is what I am planning."

Kel wiped sweat from her forehead as she used her pitchfork to great effect in the stables of Barony Mindelan. Then she heard a shuffling sound from behind her. She turned around. "Anders?" Her brother waved to her from the doors to the stable. "Time to eat, Kel." Kel followed her brother from the stables to the main castle. They avoided the Main Hall and went to go eat near the warm kitchen with the servants. "Hullo, Sir Anders. Miss Keladry." Kel felt the familiar, now fading pang in her heart. Now she would never be called "Page" Keladry. Or Squire Keladry. Or Lady Knight Keladry. Now she was Miss, soon to be Lady. Sitting at the large table with the other servants, she dipped her hands in the bucket of cold well water that was being passed around. She scrubbed her hands briskly and dried them on the cloth that was being passed around. They finished with their hands and Anders stood. He raised his hands. "Bright Mithros and Great Goddess, we give praise for your great kindness, and please bless our meal, we humbly pray." He put his hands down, and they sat and began to eat. Just as they were tearing in to some turkey, a panting and windblown messenger, muddy from toe to chin, staggered in, shouting, "Message for Sir Anders of Mindelan! Message!" Anders stood and beckoned to the man. "Come, let us talk and eat." Kel moved aside as the messenger and her brother conversed at the head of the table. They finished, Anders with a rather queer expression on his face. Other than that, the meal continued. When all the dishes were cleared away and the fire was crackling merrily, Kel and Anders excused themselves, while the messenger was shown to a cot in the Servant's hall. Taking his sister by the arm, he led her to his private study. "Kel, I have received a summons from the court at Corus. I cannot leave you hear alone. Mother and father will be at the palace, and Conal and Inness have been required to come too. Luckily, the summons isn't urgent, and I have a month to prepare. The journey will take awhile. Now, would you like to go and see your page friends at the palace? Or shall you visit you aunt for a spell?" Kel shook her head. She would not go back to Corus. The wounds from her rejection were still raw. She certainly didn't want to visit her aunt, who was famed for her primness and ladylike behavior. Where else would she go? Anders turned from her. "Oh yes, something has arrived for you from the palace. I believe it's in the stable. I have to talk more with the messenger, and try to get news from the palace. Meanwhile, I'm sure you'd like to think this over." Anders limped from the room and Kel sat in thought.

Finally giving up on the matter, she went down to the stables to see what had arrived. Perhaps they were letters. Letters from all that she had left behind. But why would they be in the stables? She entered the stables and was greeted by the hostler, Geric. "Hullo, Miss Keladry. Your things are in the last stall." He stepped back into the gloom of the more dimly lit areas, and Kel proceeded to walk down to the last one. She absently patted the heads of the horses there. There was Anders's horse, the quiet war-horse named Khalil. Beyond that were several working horses, and several empty boxes past was the last one. She heard a familiar whinny. She raced past few empty boxes and joyfully hugged the warm strawberry neck. "Peachblossom, oh, Peachblossom," she whispered, burying her face in his mane to hide her damp cheeks. She had missed him terribly and was afraid that Stefan was going to have to have him killed or make him draw carts.

Suddenly, she noticed something. Somebody had saddled him. There was a beautiful black leather saddle, plain but obviously well crafted. There were also matching saddlebags with many compartments. Each compartment was filled with something. There was flint and tinder, polishing cloths, a collapsible spyglass, and an odd contraption that folded out to be a waterproof hat. She smiled, delighted. Also, half-hidden, there was something that made her draw her breath sharply. It was a hilt! Moving the saddle blanket, she grasped the hilt of the sword. It was somewhat large for her, and rather heavy, but she drew it out and stared. It was simple, the hilt wrapped in black leather to match the saddle and saddlebags. A clear white orb was set in the pommel, and there was a ¾ blood channel running down the blade. She stared at it, taking in the excellent craftsmanship. She pulled a single strand of hair from her head and gently placed it on the blade. No sooner than it touched, the keen edge sliced it in half. She touched the tip of her finger to the edge, and made a face as a droplet of blood appeared. She ran her bloodied finger down the blade, and murmured, "I dub thee Gryphon." Swiftly she wiped the blade on her breeches and looked all over Peachblossom for a note. She unsaddled Peachblossom and placed the saddle to the side. She unfolded the saddle blanket and searched each stitch of fabric for a note. She went through each compartment of her saddlebags, and every item in them, yet found nothing. Suddenly, she noticed an object near the door of the box. Turning around, she saw that it was a large wooden box, unadorned, as was all of the gifts that were given to her. Yet, anonymous as it was, she guessed at what was in it. Running to a rack of tools placed near the stable, she grabbed a crowbar and pried the lid of the box open. Inside, surrounded by sawdust, was a bulky package wrapped in paper. Flinging sawdust and paper aside, she ripped open the package. Inside was a black tilting saddle, high in front and back. She ran her fingers over the leather fittings, taking in the wonderful craftsmanship. What would she do with a tilting saddle, though? There were no quintains to practice on, and she most certainly couldn't ride at another person. She ran the pads of her fingers over every inch of the saddle. Suddenly, she felt an odd bump. She pressed on it until she heard a click. A small section flipped out, and Kel pulled a slip of paper out of the small hollow opening. It read, "Gods all bless, Lady Keladry"

"Do you understand now, sister?" The Great Goddess nodded. "With the consent of our Yamani brothers and sisters-" Mithros bowed at the gods, "I have put my plan to motion. But now, let us turn our face to the earth, and bide our time."

Kel embraced her mother and father warmly. It had been several days since her surprise at the stables. Her parents had come to visit and check up on the state of things. They had to return to Corus, however, because the prince's betrothed, Princess Chisakami, had died in an earthquake. New wedding arrangements had to be set up, which usually took years. Clad in a maroon dress, she had dressed up for the meal. Her parents looked at her oddly, yet didn't say anything. Anders, Ilane, and Piers walked to the great hall, conversing while walking. Kel trailed behind, thinking over her decision. As they entered Great Hall, Kel gave up on thinking over the matter altogether and trotted to catch up to her parents.

Kel and leaned back in her chair as she ate. Placing the chicken bone on her plate, she gently wiped her lips in a ladylike manner. She cleared her throat to get her parents' attention. Three heads turned towards her. "Yes, Keladry?" Her mother inquired. Keeping her face Yamani straight, Kel began. "Anders, you told me about how you and Conal and Inness were going to Corus. I thought about it, and I know what I want to do, where to go. With your permission," here she bowed to her parents, "I would go to the Yamani Islands and begin Shang training." Ilane studied her daughter. "Keladry, are you sure about this course of action? You could come to Corus, or you could go to your Aunt's place. I'm sure she'd enjoy the company." Kel nodded firmly. "If I can't serve to Tortallans, I shall go to the Islands. There they accept all warriors, male or female. There I will have freedom." Piers scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm. I think that we have just enough to get you and your horse passage for a one-way trip to the Islands. There you can stay with some of our friends until we can get you into Shang training. It will take a while to convince the Masters to accept you at your age. You are aware that all the beginners are younger than you by several years?" Kel nodded again. "Yes, father. I want to be a Shang Master, if Tortall has deemed me unsuitable for knighthood." This she said without facial expression, yet in her eyes was the anger and sadness that would not easily fade. Anders studied Kel. "Well then. It seems that we have a plan, does it not, mother, father?" Ilane nodded. "We shall go to the Harbormaster to inquire about Island-bound ships." Kel bowed to her mother and father, than sat back and took up her chicken with a small smile.


	2. Journey

CHAPTER 2: THE JOURNEY

Kel waved to her parents as the ship left the dock. The day was sunny, the _Morning Sage _set out for the Yamani Islands. The sails flapped, and the waves lapped at the wooden planks. The _Sage _was a trading ship, the captain, Rig Matale, a Carthaki trader. A bear of a man, he stood near Keladry, white shirt billowing in the breeze. Tucked into a red sash was a cutlass. Kel looked at it curiously. "Took it off a pirate who didn't know who he was messing with," said Rig to her unspoken question. He drew the blade and it flashed in the sun. "Heh, pretty, huh? Razor sharp too." He thrust it back into his sash. "Well, missie, you'll learn a whole lot on this journey, mind you. This isn't a place for lily-livered land lubbers. If you feel sick, make sure you make it to the rail, or else you'll be swabbing. This is a ship! Not a pleasure jaunt." He winked at her, then walked off, saying over his shoulder, "go on up to the crow's nest. Take a look around." Kel looked at the mast, the rigging, and up even farther to the crow's nest. Gulping, she replied, "Maybe later, sir. I'll be going below decks."

Heading for the hatch, she climbed down to check on Peachblossom. The gelding was suspended several inches above the deck. Wide leather straps held up the irate horse. Kel had heard that helped Peachblossom stay upright and keep from falling over and possibly hurting himself as the boat rocked in choppy seas. Producing an apple from her pocket, she held it out for Peachblossom. He took it, and munched quietly. Patting him on the neck, Kel left the small box and poked her head above decks. The captain was nowhere in sight. Kel went up and walked towards the rigging, her feet unsteady. The last time she was in a ship was a year ago, when she had returned from the Islands. Several sailors snickered as she lurched towards the rigging. Laying a hand on the ropes, she made her way up. Well, this was an improvement over the castle wall and tall trees, where branches obscured her vision. She looked down. That was a mistake. She clung to the ropes and the distance got to her. The wood below seemed miles away. She clung to the ropes. Kel gave a start as she felt a and on her shoulder. She whipped around, nearly letting go of the ropes. "Hey, hey! Calm down!" Kel flushed as she met the bright blue eyes of a young man who she had seen earlier climbing all over the rigging like a monkey she had seen once in Master Lindhall's collection. His hair was a shocking shade of bright red, contrasting with his bright blue eyes. He was tall and lanky, reminding Kel, with a pang, of Neal. The boy pointed up, towards the crow's nest, just a few feet above her. Keeping her eyes on the basin-like structure above her, she continued hand over hand up to the crow's nest.

With the assistance of the person below her, she climbed into the crow's nest. She moved aside swiftly to allow her rescuer to clamber in beside her. He grinned at her pale face. "Don't like heights, eh? Or is it seasickness? I'd advise you not to get sick here. From this position, you're likely to hit someone on deck. Kel shook her head. "No, just the heights. I've been sailing before." The boy- young man, really- nodded sagely, a twinkle in his eye. "So, I'm Marcus Lyons, age 14. You must be the toff- I mean, Lady Keladry of Mindelan." He gave as much of a bow as the cramped space would permit. Kel grimaced. "Please don't call me that. I'm just Kel." He grinned, then winked. "Aye, Missus Kel." She mock frowned at him, then she turned to look out over the ocean.

Rarely did she ever see such a sight. For mile upon mile was deep blue water. As far as the eye could see there was water. Sunlight glinted off the ripples and small waves that lapped the sides of the _Sage_. The bright blue sky stretched in all directions. There were no clouds to be seen. The white sails billowed below her as the ship sailed true to its course. Marcus stood next to her. "See that? The front part of the ship is called the bow. He back part is the stern. Right side of the ship is starboard, and the left is port. This is the mainsail, and there is the poop deck. The captain's cabins are over there, and the wheel and helmsman are there. Now, do you know where the…"

Kel spent most of her morning with Marcus, learning about how the ship worked. When she tried to learn more about him, Marcus only said that he was from Scanra and had been adopted by the captain when he was nine.

"What do you mean? You don't look Scanran?"

"Oh, well, My mother was a traveling player, and my father was one for favoring the drink." Kel hushed, and changed the subject. When the captain roared for Marcus, he helped Kel get down from the crow's nest. Next time, Kel thought ruefully, I'll bring up my spyglass!

The days passed rather uneventfully. She spent her time getting to know the crew. There was the helmsman, Ayden Godshome from Tortall, and there was the tall, thin cook, Lathur Edmunsson from Tyra. Erich Waterstone, the quartermaster, had taken Kel under his wing and was teaching her navigation and working with a sextant, as she had an aptitude for mathematics. First mate Vani Batawan was a tall Copper Islander, the only other female on the ship aside from Kel. She fascinated Kel with stories of her homeland's jungles and the strange animals. The second mate, Evran Grimulf, was a swarthy Scanran who was always driving the sailors to go faster, or farther or work harder. He kept a cat-o' nine tails in his belt, but never seemed to use it.

Every night she and Erich Waterstone would go up on deck, and she would identify the stars and various constellations, and he would tell her how to navigate by them. By day she roamed the ship, climbing up the rigging to test herself, as there was no mapping to be done, as everything looked the same to Kel. Sometimes she would dine in the Captain's cabin with Prabha and Evran. Captain Matale would show her his maps and their course. He pointed out air and water currents, whirlpools, and other rather nautical things. Soon Kel was learning to appreciate and understand nautical life.

On the second week of their journey, Kel was awakened to shouting and the sound of sloshing water. Stumbling upright, Kel changed quickly, dashing out of her small cabin and out into the narrow hallway that moaned and creaked as what sounded like rain smashed onto the deck in sheets. Footsteps pounded overhead, and muffled shouts rang out. Timbers creaked as waves tossed the ship from side to side. Charging up to the hatch, she heaved at the heavy, sodden wood and managed to get it open. What she saw chilled her to the bone. The deck was tossing as waves taller than the sides of the boat drenched the sailors who dashed over the deck and scampered over the rigging like ants who had had their anthill upturned. Men fought to furl the sails, while the captain stood at the helm, shouting strange words and waving his hands while bright green light formed around his fingers. With a start, Kel realized that Captain Matale was Gifted. Apparently he was trying to shield the ship from the fierce winds that were tearing at the mainsail. The mast was creaking ominously. Kel clambered onto the slippery deck. Gripping the nearby rail, she stared out at the roiling waves. She lurched over to the captain. He was deep in concentration.

She looked around. Spotting the helmsman, she ran over. "What can I do?" she shouted. He ignored her, or he couldn't hear her. Suddenly, she screamed as the deck lurched. Fingers scrabbling for a handhold, Kel slid across the slippery wood. She screamed once more as she felt herself shoot past the rail. Suddenly her hand grabbed the rail. She swung by one hand as the ship rocked dangerously. Gripping the splintering rail, she swung up her other arm to hold the bar two-handed. Frantically she pulled herself up until she had started to pull herself onto the deck. As the ship lurched once more, she gave up on trying to pull herself up and settled on hanging on to the wood. The mast suddenly gave an ear-tearing crack. Suddenly the mast gave an ear-tearing crack, and the main sail tore. Fluttering in the wind, a piece of the white canvas hurtled towards Kel's upturned face.

Gasping, Kel turned her face away as the sail smacked painfully into her ribs, jarring her hold on the rail. Growling, she hoisted herself up onto the deck, only to slip back down. Wincing with the sudden pain in her ribs, she clung to the rail with one hand. Suddenly she felt a hand on her own. Looking up, she saw the worried face of Marcus Lyons. Feebly, she reached up her other hand. Grasping her forearm, Marcus hauled Kel onto the deck. He frowned at her fiercely. "Get below decks! We can handle things here!" he hollered into her ear. He helped her stagger to the hatch. Gripping the edge, he hauled the hatch open and almost tossed her in. Kel lurched down to Peachblossom's box.

The gelding was neighing loudly as he swung from the straps. Fortunately he did not hit the sides of the box. She patted his neck, trying to calm him. It worked, but only to a degree. He still tossed his head as the deck hurled and tossed. Curling up into a sodden ball, Kel collapsed in a corner of the small box and passed out.

"Kel? Lady Kel!" Kel was awakened by a splash of water on her face. Sputtering, she spit out salty seawater. The movement of the ship seemed quieter now. Not as it had been during the start of the journey, but certainly more peaceful than the storm. Kel looked up into the faces of Marcus and Captain Matale. They came over and helped her stand. "There you are lass. We were worried about you. Lyons here tells me that you were out in the storm. You've got a good heart and a good height, but its hard to stay aboard without experience and a firm rope. Care to come up on board? The water is calm now. You must have been out for a while. The storm lasted for a whole day and night. You must have been out for hours. Come, get a taste of the fresh sea breeze." Kel started to take a step forward, but stopped and winced, holding her ribs. Captain Matale reached out a green-glowing hand towards her ribs. Shaking her head vehemently, she said, "No, thank you sir. There are others who might need your Gift." He shook his head, but pulled away. Peachblossom whickered and tossed his head. She patted his head quickly, before he could lash out at the two helping her.

The three of them made their way down the hall and out onto the deck. All over the place were soldiers. The ship's healer, Derek Ericksson, was tending to the wounded. Most people were merely bruised and battered. Several sported broken bones. It was then that Kel noticed that many of the sailors had a rope tied around their waists. Some were still attached to the mast. Some ropes were broken, cut by knives or untied by numb fingers. Debris lay everywhere. Several crates had been thrown overboard, yet smashed on the sides of the ship. A large piece of torn sail fluttered from a length of broken rail. Marcus pointed. "See that, that's where you were hanging on last night." Kel nodded in a dazed manner. "Thanks, Marcus." He helped her limp over to a long crate. She gratefully sat gingerly beside Vani, who was nursing a long cut that ran down her broken arm. Derek was beside her, holding his hands over the wound. The bone healed, and the cut became smaller, but didn't heal completely. He bound up the wound with a length of bandage, then moved on to Kel. She waved him away, with the same thiing she said to the captain. He nodded gratefully and went on to the injured Ayden. Marcus came over, holding a length of linen in his hand. He offered it to Kel, saying, "Here, those ribs look bruised. One might be broken. Tie this around your ribs." Kel nodded. Suddenly, she called out to Marcus, "Could you please bring me the sack in my room? There's something I need." He nodded and went below decks to fetch it. When he returned, Kel opened the jar of bruise balm and applied some to her injured side. She felt the throbbing lessen, but there was still a twinge of pain. Muttering to herself about a broken rib, she began to wrap the bandage around her ribs. Only managing to pain herself further, she winced and tried again. Biting her lip so hard it bled, she began a third time. "Stop, Lady Kel, you'll hurt yourself. Let me help." Kel gratefully accepted Vani's help. Now, her ribs bound tightly in bandages, she went to see what she could do to help with the crew. Walking among the wounded, she applied her bruise balm to all of the worst cases. Just as she was going around to get to the minor ones, Captain Matale stopped her. "Don't worry, lass. That's fine. Derek will get to them soon enough. Keep your bruise balm. We sailors are used to the rough life. Don't worry. Sit down and relax. How are your ribs? Let me do a quick check." He laid his hands on Kel's injured side. "Hmm, I think one is fractured. Let me do a hea-" Kel stepped back. "No thanks. If I'm going to be a Yamani warrior, I better start acting like one." He smiled. "Well then, there's one for old Shang Tiger. She always talked about such stoics. Oh, yes, a friend of mine." He strode away across the deck, touching green-glowing hands to sailors. As he passed, their faces lightened, as if some of their pain was healed. Only later, as Kel went to look for something to eat, did she see the captain, drained and weary, sitting in his stateroom and filling in the ship's log.

The ship was repaired as they went, putting up a spare sail and boarding up the larger holes. Luckily, most of the holes were above waterline. After a few days, the _Morning Sage_ was back on course. Of course (no pun intended) they were delayed about a week's time, but that time passed and soon Kel's cry (she had wanted to help on the ship) of "Land ahoy off the starboard bow!" was heard and rejoiced at by the sailors. Kel looked down at the seaweed floating in the water and smiled.


	3. Mask

Chapter 3: Mask

Kel said farewell to the traders rather sadly; she would miss them in the coming months. As a parting presents, Captain Matale gave her a beautifully crafted dagger, Vani gave her a map of Tortall and the surrounding countries, and Erich Waterstone gave Kel a small sextant in a mahogany case. Yet, however hard she looked, she couldn't find Marcus. Finally the time came to descend onto shore. Trunk carried by the cook Lathur, who had to go ashore to buy spices, she began to walk down the gangplank to the shore of Naniichuan. Suddenly, she heard pounding footsteps behind her. Startled, she wheeled Peachblossom around. As she whirled around, she saw it was only Marcus. Relieved, she dismounted and grasped his hand warmly.

He held his other hand behind his back. Thrusting a small package at her, he gave her a quick hug. Kel felt blood rush to her face. Struggling to push down her blush, she returned his hug rather awkwardly. "Um, here. If you're ever needful of a ship ride, I'm sure Captain Matale wouldn't mind. You've been a great help on our trip, Lady Kel. I hope to see you again soon. Don't open it now." With that, he waved and melted into the crowd. Kel put the package in her pack and continued down to the shore with Lathur. There she was met with the disapproving stare of a Yamani upper servant on a horse.

He looked down at the thin cook and Kel. He sniffed, and said in heavily accented Common, "Your things will be taken care of, Lady Keladry. Mistress Yukimi is requesting of your presence." Kel nodded. She turned Peachblossom and rode down the street after the messenger, waving goodbye one last time to her friends on deck. All of them were there, except for Marcus. However hard she searched, she couldn't find him. Finally she turned herself forward in the saddle and directed her attentions to the rump of the messenger's horse.

Kel entered the room, all dusty traveler's clothes gone. Instead, she wore a maroon kimono, with a design of pale flowers. In her obi was tucked a shukusen. Her short hair was combed until it shined. She bowed to her childhood friend, Yukimi Noh Daiomaru, and Yuki's parents, Soun and . They replied in kind, and they all retired to cushions around the low table. Kneeling, Kel resumed the position she had not taken for what seemed years. She had gotten used to sitting at a high Tortallan table with all of her page friends and lots of noise and bustle. Here she knelt at the low table and sat quietly, as her hosts conversed among themselves in Yamani. Sipping at her tea, she remained quiet. The noodles were delicious. She murmured several compliments, then continued to sit silently.

The meal finished, Kel and Yuki went to their rooms. Kel sat on her mat. "Yuki, I haven't seen you in a long time! How have things been?" Kel sat, legs spread boyishly. Yuki studied her friend intently. "You certainly have changed, Keladry," murmured Yuki. Kel shrugged. "That's what living with boys for a whole year does to you. Hmm. I really miss them." Yuki's eyes bulged. "You lived alone? With men? For a year?" Kel grinned, the smile seeming out of place in the emotionless Yamani setting. "Don't worry, Yuki. Nothing happened, thank the Goddess. Though I would hardly call them men. Except for Prince Roald, actually. Neal too. They were close enough." Yuki asked, "You knew the prince of Tortall? What is he like? Shin- I mean, a friend of mine, is very interested in him."

Kel was taken aback. What would an aloof Yamani noble want with a Tortallan, even if he were the crown prince? Kel shrugged, quickly hiding her emotions under her best Lump mask. Suddenly, a thought struck her. What if Joren and his cronies were to come to the Yamani Islands? If you called the emperor or one of the ladies a savage lump, he would acquire more than several black and blue lumps of his own, not to mention the risk of total dismemberment, if the one he insulted was carrying a glaive. However, as Yuki impatiently cleared her throat, her straying thoughts returned to their previous track. "Well, Yuki, if I could meet this friend of yours, I may be able to describe him more fully. Perhaps sooner rather than later?" Yuki nodded absently, her eyes seemingly on Kel, but obviously somewhere else. Turning from her friend, Kel whispered a prayer in Yamani and lay back, soon fast asleep.

The next morning Kel woke earlier than usual. Grabbing her glaive, which was propped against the wall, she headed for the dojo for some practice work. Dressed in loose clothes, she was alone.

Panting and sweaty, Kel finished the second of the two pattern dances she had been doing with a flourish. Resting her glaive on the wall, she began working on her Shang kicks and punches. Afterwards, she did thirty of the floor press-ups the Shang Wildcat had shown her. As she was reaching for a ladle of water from the bucket near the door, she heard a sound behind her. Instantly her tired muscles reacted by swiveling around into a ready position. Behind her was only Yuki, giving her a small smile that she could see in her eyes. With a motion too fast to be seen, she flicked her wrist, and the shukusen opened. With a twinkle in her eye, she stood, feet planted as she waved the shukusen in front of Kel's face. Giving a grudging smile, Kel stood opposite her friend. With a few words in Yamani, they began. The dance was for two people, not a group, and consisted of many swift moves that sent the deadly fan slicing intricate scarlet patterns in the air. Unlike Yuki, Kel did not try to be graceful. She stood, feet firmly planted, as the fan swirled in the air like a scarlet butterfly. With another Yamani command, Kel grabbed the fan, flicked it shut, then with a flick of her wrist sent it spinning towards Yuki, who caught it one handed.

They bowed to each other gravely, then burst into suppressed giggles. Yuki, hands over her mouth, sat down heavily on the dojo floor and leaned back and sighed, a rare show of emotion in a Yamani. "Oh, Keladry-" Kel interrupted, "Kel, Yuki. Just Kel." Yuki nodded. "Alright. Kel, it seems so long ago that you left, a Yamani at heart, and you come back different. Not bad, different, just plain different. You come with more emotion than any Yamani would dare show, you have spent a whole year with boys, and you are more mature. You act different, Kel. It's so refreshing to be here with you, its like taking a breath of air after being stuck in a dank cave." Kel flushed, embarrassed, than shook her head. "Well, I learned many things in Tortall. I learned that emotion wasn't really a bad thing. I learned how to understand others, and I learned more fighting skills." She sighted. "But, I guess It wasn't to be" she murmured softly, so quietly that Yuki could barely hear her friend. With a groan, Yuki stood and attempted to push her hair back under its pins. "Well, I'd best be going. You might want to hurry along too. The emissary from the palace will soon be arriving." Hurriedly Kel stood. Wiping her forehead on her sleeve, she followed Yuki out of the dojo and back to the house.

"The Shang Phoenix has asked especially for you, Keladry of Mindelan." The man spat out the words as if they were bile. "He has never asked for anyone, also rarely, if ever, accepting even one of the many who seek to be trained by the greatest master of Yamani history. Those who he train become the Emperor's elite." Kel was stunned. The Elite were the fiercest warriors of the fighting order. They accompanied the emperor wherever he went. They were the embodiment of Yamani Shang ideals. All of them were Shang masters, also expert with the bow, glaive, katana, and other Yamani implements of war. Trying desperately to imagine herself as a calm lake, she tried to get her thoughts into understandable order. _Okay_, she thought. _I have just been accepted, into the training of the greatest warrior in the Islands. There's a start_. _To accept such an invitation is a great honor. So what do I do? Accept, that's what I do. Accept, right?_ She seemed to be having trouble breathing. Yuki poked her friend, hard, in the ribs. Kel looked up, and said in a perfect Yamani voice, emotionless and without a single remote quiver,

"I accept."


	4. Trails

Chapter 4:Trails

Kel swiftly searched through her bag for a quill pen. She frowned with frustration as all she found were wolf hair brushes she had been given. While the brushes were used for flowing Yamani script, Kel's hurried writing with Tortallan characters did not really fit the object's description of use. Suddenly her hand felt rough packaging. Pulling out the object, she recognized the package Marcus Lyons had handed to her before she left. Just thinking of him made her smile. The long rectangular box was perhaps a centimeter thick and about 10 inches long. She pulled gently on the twine. The rough wrapping fell off, and Kel gasped. The box was of a dark wood she couldn't place, though similar to mahogany, or cherry. Emblazoned on the wood in gold, was a griffin. The griffin was incredibly detailed, all the way down to the ferocious glint in the predatory eye. She took time to investigate the wood, to see a maker's mark, but could find none. Finally she opened it.

What she saw inside made her choke on air. Lying on blue velvet lining was a quill pen. This was no ordinary pen, however. It was gold, slightly flecked with spots of brown. Kel touched it with a tentative finger. It was like no feather she had ever seen before. Suddenly, she noticed something. Between one corner of the blue velvet and the side of the box poked a piece of paper. Tugging on it, she picked it up and began to read.

_Dear Kel,_ it said, in the slightly slanted writing of Marcus. _When I thought about what to give you, I really couldn't decide. On consultation with a few friends of mine, I settled on this. It's a feather from a griffin. My friends and I thought you might like it. The nib won't wear out anytime soon, and, after a few tests, I found that it was nigh impossible to damage. Well, I hear the boat coming into the docks. I bid you farewell upon your journey, and_

_Goddess and Mithros Bless, Lady Kel-_

_Marcus Lyons and the crew of the Morning Sage_

Kel grinned and fingered the seemingly delicate feather. It was sturdy, she thought to herself. She picked it up and dipped it into some ink and began to write a letter to Neal and all the others.

_Dear Neal, His Highness Prince Roald, Seaver, Merric, Cleon, and everyone else-_

_I am writing from Naniichuan in the Yamani Islands. I have arrived safely. The ship I was sailing on, The Morning Sage, was caught in a storm about a week into the journey, and I was, suffice it to say, bruised. I met a really nice young man named Marcus Lyons. He showed me around the ship, and he was one of the few people who I really talked to during the journey. The quartermaster, Erich Waterstone, showed me how to navigate using the stars, and he gave me a small sextant. I heard the most fabulous stories from Vani Batawan, a woman, also first mate, who is from the Copper Isles. Captain Rig Matale was a bear of a man, not unlike Sergeant Ezeko. He stands a few inches taller than even Numair, and is as broad and muscular, if not more, than Sir Knight Commander Lord Raoul. I hope you got my first message, the one Master Numair helped me with. _

_Here in the Yamani Islands, emotion is gone from the lands. I truly miss all of you in Tortall, a place where people can be happy without consequences. Tomorrow I head to the Emperor's Palace. I have been selected for training under a Shang master. I am afraid I may not be able to write often, as my Master is known for being something of a- well- recluse, but, I pray for you all, and give my greetings to Salma, Lady Daine, Master Numair, all the teachers, and do not forget Lord Wyldon. So,_

_Mithros bless_

_Kel_

Kel sealed the letter with a blob of wax and pushed the Mindelan signet ring she had been given into it. The seal cooled, she took the letter to a messenger who was going to the docks, carrying messages. That done, she went downstairs to meet the others who were there to escort her. There she met Yuki, who was standing to the side. "Hello, Yuki. How are you?" Yuki's only response was a rather sad look. "Yuki? What's wrong?" Kel looked at her friend, concerned. Yuki composed her outward apperance quickly. "I will not be able to accompany you to the palace as planned, Keladry. I am needed in the household." Kel gave her friend a hug. "Don't worry, Yuki. I'll write to you often. I'm sure I'll see you soon. Yama bless, Yuki, and-" A voice interrupted her. "Honorable Lady Keladry? Your escort awaits." Kel gave her one last hug, then, composing her face once more, she followed the messenger to the courtyard.

She bowed deeply to Soun and Nodoka for their hospitality, and then boarded the carriage provided. She waved, then her view was obstructed by a mounted man, part of her escort, provided by the emperor. The dust obscured the view from the small back window. Kel took one last look outside before she pulled the cord and the drapes dropped over the small window.

The carriage rumbled over the dusty roads. A strange drought had enveloped the land for several years, starting when Kel was about 7 years old. The land has not improved, she thought, as she pulled open the drapes and looked out the small window. The rice crop was failing, said rumors in the lowlands. While it was still probably rumor, as each farm had a Field Mage with an apprentice or two who kept the land reasonably fertile, Kel knew that magical sustenance alone would not grow the plants. Workers waded calf deep in muddy water, harvesting the plants. An overseer to the side was checking the work of two young women. The carriage rolled slowly by, and the workers did not cease to marvel at the beauty of a noble carriage, as they were resigned to their fate in the fields.

Kel was awoken when the carriage hit a rut in the road and stopped. Jostled from her uncomfortable position curled up on the narrow bench, Kel's top half of her body fell from its precarious perch and thudded onto the hard floor. Cursing quietly in Common she rubbed her forehead and tried to open the carriage door. The latch was jammed. Cursing even more vehemently, she kicked at the door. The thin wooden planks were no match for Kel's developed leg muscles. It swung open quickly, the latch mechanism dented.

The carriage driver and those of her armed escort were pulling mightily on a tow rope, trying to free the trapped carriage. Kel saw that the front end of the carriage was buried in some kind of muck. It was sinking rapidly. She saw that her belongings had been thrown, rather unceremoniously, to the side of the road. She did a quick visual check to make sure all her things were there, then stopped suddenly as she realized something very important was missing.

Her glaive! It had been strapped to the side of the carriage. Dashing to the sinking vehicle, she clambered into the mud, sinking instantly ankle deep. Ignoring her sinking status, she hurled herself at the straps binding the glaive to the carriage. She fumbled with the cord, then in frustration slashed at the cord with her belt knife. The cord severed and the bottom half of her glaive was freed. However, the blade was rapidly sinking into the mud along with the front end of the carriage. She lunged forward, sinking in up to her knees, and slashed at the cords on the front end. The glaive was free.

She dug the blade into the far off hard ground, and with the help of naginata-turned-crutch and several soldiers pulled herself out of the muck. She stared ruefully at herself and her muddied breeches and stockings(for the journey she had donned Tortallan clothing). The front wheels of the carriage were now completely mucked up, and no amount of pulling or digging would get them out. The driver was calming the horses, and the warriors were conversing among themselves. Kel, grooming Peachblossom nearby, overheard bits of conversation in Yamani. "Honorable lady-" "Lady! Hah! we should-" "Horses? They may tire, or throw a shoe-" "no choice but to-" "treason! Do not speak of the emperor so-" Kel's attention was snapped from the conversation when, in the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of movement.

A branch rustled. High in a tree the shadows shifted. Peachblossom's ears went up. The coach horses quieted. Peachblossom bared his teeth. The warriors were too immersed in conversation. Kel drew her glaive and strapped on her sword. The warrior's voices were escalating, bursting into full fledged argument about what to do next, none of them heeding the fidgeting of the coachman, the wary horses, or the alert Kel, riding quietly into the woods.

Meanwhile, the honorable lady Keladry was stalking through the forest, glaive ready. She knew better than to journey more than a few feet beyond the clearing, and stopped when she saw nothing. Meaning fully to return to the clearing just a few steps behind her, she turned, still wary. Suddenly she felt something bite into her neck. Quickly she whipped her glaive into the foliage one handed as her other hand smacked into her neck. Instantly a wave of nauseated dizziness swept over. As she brought her hand to her face she smiled grimly. In her rapidly clouding vision she beheld the tiny danger of a poisoned blowdart.

Ten minutes later, when the warriors decided on mounting up and continuing down the trail to the Imperial City, they turned to see honored lady Keladry of Mindelan gone, her pack, horse, and chest gone, and the coachman unconscious. With muffled curses, they turned to each other to "discuss" what to do next.

The coachman woke, woozy. He fingered the dart that was buried partway into his neck. To the side the warriors were still arguing. The lady was gone, and the horses were too. The warriors were still arguing. The man shook his head wearily and fingered the dart. The small feathered dart was mainly black, except for a single golden yellow feather; the signature mark of the ninjas of the Order of the Phoenix.


	5. Order of the Phoenix?

Chapter 5: Order of the Phoenix?

Kel awoke to the sound of crashing water. Remembering what had happened the night before, she forced herself to fully wake up and look around. She was in a cave, on a rather uncomfortable sleeping mat. Her things were at the foot of her mat: chest, bag, sword (in scabbard) and naginata. Her stone room would be considered narrow and cramped, if it had been filled with large Tortallan furniture. Sparse shelves were carved into the rock, a narrow writing desk stood in a corner, and altar and incense holders were in the opposite corner. Several candles were on the table along with a water jug, and a lantern hung from above. A wall hanging depicted several Yamani characters, meaning peace and harmony. On the altar was a tiny figurine.

Taking hold of her sword, she found that she was clothed in an outfit different from what she had been wearing when she was taken. The silk-like outfit was beige in colour, and loose and flowing. She strapped on her belt and clipped the scabbard on, sliding the sword home. Then she took up her naginata for protection. She slipped on a pair of straw sandals and went outside, opening the screen. The stone hallway outside was rather short, ending in bright sunlight. Kel padded silently towards it. A screen swished quietly behind her.

Kel wheeled around and held her glaive at the ready. Behind her was a person garbed completely in black. In one of the person's hands was a katana. Kel dropped into a ready position as the person attacked. Kel parried the first few blows easily, but soon the jabs and slices sped up. The glaive was hard to control in the narrow passage, while the katana whizzed through the air. Kel was hard pressed to defend herself. In frustration she backed up quickly, spinning the blade of the naginata in a figure-eight pattern to keep her cloaked attacker at bay. What she forgot about was the opening at the end of the passage.

One foot slipped, and Kel fought to stay upright. Now the attacker was speeding up. Kel continued parrying, her face Yamani calm though she was fighting to stay on the ledge. With a jab that caused Kel's footing to slip, the attacker forced her over the edge. Kel dropped the glaive and scrabbled one-handed for a hold as her hand went to her belt knife. Knife freed, she clung one handed to the ledge. With the help of the adrenaline rush, Kel, with a grunt of exertion and a twist that nearly pulled the arm from her socket, flipped up onto the ledge by pushing her legs off the wall. The attacker was surprised, apparently, for he or she backed up a few paces. Kel resheathed her belt knife and drew her sword. The person backed up a few paces, then moved in, the sword whirling. Kel stood firmly, refusing to go over the edge again.

Soon Kel was disarmed, sword thudding into the wall. A shallow cut marred the flesh of her wrist and hand. She reached for her belt knife but was stopped when she felt icy metal on the base of her neck. Kel froze, the muscles in her legs and arms feeling like jelly, then murmured, "Honorable master, I beg, take my life now, so that I may not be forever shamed." The point of the katana lowered, and the stranger drew back the hood to reveal-

The face of a Yamani woman. Kel was not really surprised- many Yamani commoners turned to Shang ideals. However, Shang warriors did not usually wield weapons. That was really reserved for the _Samurai, _the lords of the lands. For some reason the woman's face was familiar in a way. Kel, realizing that the woman had no intention of fulfilling her request, bowed rather shakily. The woman replied in kind, then stuck out a hand in a traditional Tortallan greeting: the handshake. Puzzled, Kel returned the firm grip and bowed once again and weakly sagged against a wall.

"Hello, Keladry of Mindelan. Welcome to the training center of the Shang Order of the Phoenix."

Kel was taken aback. _Order of the Phoenix?_ What was that? Kel nodded, more than slightly puzzled. "If I may ask, honorable master, what is this organization?" The woman replied, "first of all, call me Kasumi Bell. You may have known my mother, Eda. And, to your question. The Order of the Phoenix is the group of trainers and the select students who study under the Shang Phoenix. We are, admittedly, not widely known. Only a select few know of the Order. We do patrolling around villages and other smaller populated areas that do not get full advantage of having a wealthy samurai to protect them. They don't really know fully about us." Kel was more than surprised; she was astonished. Eda Bell had a daughter? A Shang master? And what was this about this secret order? She asked the first question that came to mind. "The messenger who informed me of my training orders told me that the Shang Phoenix did not take many students." Kasumi nodded.

"The Phoenix herself does not take many students. Those she trains either become part of the Elite or do spy work for the emperor's spy master. Then there are the few selected to help train in this, well, the best word for it is a training center. Yes, the Phoenix is a woman, contrary to popular belief. Well, the Phoenix is actually a title. The best fighter that the Phoenix deems worthy becomes the next in line for the title, his or her heir, and the training master of the Order of the Phoenix. Sometimes the person is male, sometimes female. One thing is definite. There has always been a master Shang Phoenix since the beginning of the Tzu Dynasty, the first dynasty of the Yamani Islands' ruling government, and even before that. Of course, not all the people who train here become trainers, spies, or Elite. Some are overseas spies for the Order. My mother, Eda, is one of them. She was sent to keep an eye on the new squires and the positions at the Tortallan court." Kel was starting to piece together things now.

"But Master Kasumi, does the Shang Horse, Hakuin Seastone, have anything to do with the Order?" Kasumi shook her head. "He's the spy for the Emperor's spy master. Mother keeps an eye on him too. Come with me. I will be your new training master. Every student here has individual attention. I will show you around."

Kel nodded and followed Kasumi to the lip of the tunnel, where she had fallen down. Kasumi nodded at Kel's glaive, sword, and knife. "Take those into your room. You will learn the art of the weapon soon enough. When you are done, return to me. I will be waiting at the bottom." With that, Master Kasumi flipped off the edge. Kel gave a choking sound and dashed over to look down. That was a bad idea. There was a steep drop down about thirty feet. Below her Master Kasumi was climbing skillfully down the slope. Green, Kel stepped away from the edge and hurried to put away her things.

When she returned to the edge of the tunnel, she peered over the edge. Kasumi was looking up at her. Frozen with fear, Kel stood stock still on the lip of the rock, not daring to move, hardly breathing. For long moments she stood there, until she heard a voice in her ear, gently calling to her. "_Keladry. Close your eyes_." Kel obliged.  
"_Now step backward. There you go. Further, now you have it. Behind you you will find a chest. Turn around and open your eyes, then open the chest_." Kel did as she was told, retreating to a box that looked more like a crate than a chest. Opening it, she found something that made her relax a bit, if not fully. Understanding, she took the object to the lip of the ledge and secured it quickly in the ground, where two stakes were.

Tossing the other end of the rope ladder down she began to descend, keeping her eyes on the rungs that were passing above her. Suddenly her foot slipped and Kel panicked, grabbing at the ladder, causing it to sway precariously. She clung to the rough rope, squeezing her eyes shut and not moving, frozen in the middle of the ladder.

The voice in her ear spoke again. "_Be calm, daughter. Relax and descend. Your Master is waiting for you._" The reminder of her master made Kel do as she was told. She quakingly descended the last few feet and bowed to Master Kasumi when she reached the bottom. Kasumi looked at Kel sympathetically. "Ah, fear of heights is what afflicts you? Do not worry, such a thing will not cripple you for long here. At the training center, fears are confronted and eliminated." Kel nodded weakly and asked the question that had been nagging in her brain. "Were you the one speaking to me? Do you have the Gift?" Kasumi was puzzled, though only her eyes showed it. "Speaking to you? I do not have the Gift; hardly anyone does here. I was here all the time." Kel shook her head. "Never mind then. I must have been imagining it." Kasumi then took Kel's hand and led her off to tour the training grounds.

First they visited a penned-off area where there were several archers training with longbows. Almost each time the arrow thudded deep near the center of the mark. What interested Kel was that there were people of different ages here. From the gray-haired man to the boy who looked younger than her, everyone was different. Next Kasumi led her to a field where people of all ages sparred using all kinds of weapons, from the Tortallan long and short swords to nunchaku and the scythe-like Kama. The layout of the pairings was similar to the organization of the pages' training sessions in Corus. People were grouped by weapon type, then by age. Most of the people were Yamani, while some were Tortallan or of other nationalities. Kasumi pointed the different ones out. "We train those of other citizenship also, so that if we are in need of a spy to another country we have people on hand. Our training consists of several fighting styles from different countries. While we do teach non-Shang styles, the Shang way in held here. Do not expect special treatment." Kel caught the steel undertone in her training master's voice. She nodded silently, her face expressionless.

The tour continued, Kasumi showing Kel the rest of the training grounds, the healer's tent (to be journeyed to only in an emergency), the huge underground room filled from wall to wall with scrolls, books, and other foreign records and forms of documentation. Several small desks were scattered around, mainly buried under the mounds of papers that were everywhere. Kel was shown where the few scribes worked; in a room adjacent to the library. The living quarters were passages tunneled into the sheer rock faces of the cliffs.

The Order of the Phoenix's training grounds was nestled in a deserted bay on a smaller island. Kel was told that she had been brought there via boat after being sedated. The first thing Kel asked about was her horse, Peachblossom. Kasumi had shown her the stables that housed the horses of the Order. After caring to Peachblossom, Kel took the time to study her surroundings.

All of the training grounds were on ground level. The Order was truly a hidden mountain fortress. The natural passages in what they called the Mountains of the Moon had been enlarged internally, yet the small cave-like appearance was the same on the outside as it had been hundreds of years before. Of course, several places were on the ground level. The Meeting Hall and the mess hall were on the ground, along with the kitchen and stables. The latrines were there also, seating 20 at a time. Hot springs for bathing were located deep within the caves. Hidden deep inside the caves was the armory, the series of rooms containing weapons from all countries. Kel took the time to admire the craftsmanship of the weapons hanging on the wall. Lances from Tortall, short bows from Carthak, claymore and dirk from Northern Galla, and other fascinating weapons were evident. Kel ran her fingers over all the weapons' hilts. The shining leather and steel fascinated her, drawing her eyes to the intricate, subtle designs decorating each weapon. From the armory Kel went to the scholar's rooms, built on ground floor. There Masters Ryu, Ayate, Amody and Uriah worked with those in Shang training who wished to be schooled in mathematics, literature, history, and sciences.

Before dinner Kel and Kasumi journeyed to the hot springs deep in the caves. There, with the other female bathers they soaked for a few relaxed moments before the time for the meal. Kel soaked gratefully, washing every inch of her body to get rid of the dust she had collected. There, in the magically lit caverns, she asked the question she longed to ask. "Master Kasumi, why did you choose to bring me here in such fashion? Could I not have gone to Court and gone here with a messenger, perhaps?" Kasumi shook her head. "Our reasons cannot be made clear yet. It was only a precaution, yet a necessary action. All will be made clear in time." Kasumi then returned to bathing. Kel shook her head, then began scrubbing at her hair.


	6. Training

Chapter 6: Training

An insistent tapping at the screen to her room woke Kel. Being a light sleeper, she sat up and grabbed her knife with one hand, the other rubbing sleep from her eyes. She crept into the shadows beside the screen, and waited. The paper-like material was pushed back, quick fingers at the wooden frame. Wreathed in shadows, Kel stood at the ready. The figure of Master Kasumi entered, holding a small candle. Kel relaxed, and stepped out into the open.

_Wrong._ Master Kasumi whipped around and whacked Kel on the side of the head with a wooden stave. Kel bit her lip to keep from crying out. Kasumi looked at her, a fierce gleam in her eye. "The first essential rule as a Yamani Shang: always be ready. Dress and come to the training grounds." Kasumi left the room and shut the screen behind her. Kel, rubbing her head, changed into practice clothes and stalked out of the hallway. She swung the rope ladder down and carefully descended. As she walked to the training ground, she pondered over the past few days, wondering at the remarkable changes in her life.

The training grounds were clear of people. Only the dark outline of Master Kasumi was visible. Kel headed toward her. As she reached Master Kasumi, she saw her whirl around and throw something at her. Kel cried out and reached up, too late remembering that if that were a knife, shukusen, or blade of some sort, her hand would be sliced in two. A familiar object struck her hand: the wooden surface of a staff. It was relatively the same size and weight of the one she used at the palace. Quickly she stood and assumed a ready position as Kasumi attacked. She was ready, and parried the swift attack. She backed up a pace, then focused her energies on deflecting the whirling wood. The attacks she was being battered with were unfamiliar to her, the swift moves fast and merciless. Kel backed up, parrying most of the hits. Time seemed to stand still as the two combatants, teacher and student, fought.

Soon her arms grew leaden, her movements slow, as if she were wading through syrup. She received more hits, but they were not very hard, peppering her now nearly numb legs and arms with welts she knew would turn various painful shades in the next few hours. Finally she parried a strike to her head, then stumbled backwards, swiping feebly at Master Kasumi's legs. Beads of sweat ran down Kel's face, and her body throbbed with bruises. She hit the ground and tried as hard as she could to get up again. Using the staff, she dragged her leaden body up and swayed, waiting for the next attack. Kasumi lowered her stave and nodded. "You have been taught well. Yet here we shall train you more. Place your feet so-" Kasumi demonstrated. Kel copied her. "Now your hands go here, and here. Good. Do not be stiff, Keladry. Remember that flexibility is far more useful in Shang combat rather than armored Tortallan combat. No, place your hands lower- there." The rest of the morning was spent in her staff work, weapons instruction, and hand-to-hand combat stances.

Kel and Kasumi brought their noon meal, rice and fish, to a secluded clifftop not too far from the training grounds. Here Kasumi showed her a secluded glade where Kel would take on private lessons separate from those of the other trainees. First they worked with Tortallan sword styles for an hour or so, and then, because Kel had gotten used to Tortallan archery during her year as the "Probationary Page," so Kasumi helped Kel with her Tortallan archery skills. For about an hour or so they worked on archery, both Shang and Tortallan, than Master Kasumi told Kel to put her things away in the small weapons storage that had been set up in a far corner of the glade. As Kel made sure everything was put away, she heard the sound of moving objects, and rustling in the bush. Kel made her way back to the glade. What she saw made her want to jump for joy.

A quintain was set up on one side of a long brush-clear lane, and Peachblossom, with a Yamani horse-mage holding green-glowing hands at Peachblossom's bridle, stood beside it. Master Kasumi held a lance in one hand, offering it to Keladry. Kel took it and bowed deeply. She bowed to the horse-mage and took Peachblossom's bridle. He bowed back, bowed deeply to Master Kasumi, and left the glade, not a single leaf on a bush or tree leaving any sign of his passing. Peachblossom shifted from leg to leg, letting out a restless snort. Kel patted him reassuringly and turned to face Master Kasumi. "Mount up," ordered Kasumi. "Ride at the quintain dummy as you would ride at any quintain. We shall continue from there." She pointed at Peacblossom, finger barely five inches from him. "I demand complete obedience, from your master, and you." Peachblossom snapped at the finger. Kel was horrified that her teacher may have sustained an injury, broken finger or worse. Her fear was short-lived. Kasumi moved too fast to see, pulling her hand back. Kel whispered to Peachblossom, "She's faster than you. Think of her like a female Lord Wyldon. Stop acting up. I'm not fooled, and I'm sure Master Kasumi isn't either." Peachblossom ignored her. The only sign that he had heard was the twitch of one ear.

Kel mounted Peachblossom and reached for the proffered lance. Testing it, she found that it was weighted. She guided Peachblossom to the start of the lane and sat for a few seconds, relishing the quiet peacefulness. She let the tension of the day slide out of her, calm as a deep-flowing river. Her hazel eyes took on their typical dreamy cast, and she murmured to Peachblossom, "Charge." They galloped at the quintain, girl and horse, unified in the thundering hooves and pounding heart, all attention focused on the single circle on the painted wood.

Kel hit it squarely and the arm of the quintain snapped to the side and the sandbag did not thump Kel on the back and out of the saddle. Master Kasumi nodded, face blank. From behind a tree, she took a can of paint. With it she painted the center of the quintain with a hand-sized black dot. Then she ordered Kel to ride at it again. Kel lowered her lance over Peachblossom's back, her gaze narrowing to her target. She struck within the circle, but did not hit the dot.

Kel continued riding at the quintain several more times until Peachblossom was streaked with lather and Kel herself began to feel ever more tired, battered, and bruised. The sun was nearing the horizon, though Kel estimated it to be an hour or so before the sun would begin to set. A horse-mage, who seemed to materialize out of thin air, took Peachblossom, and Kel and Kasumi returned to the training grounds. They soaked in the hot springs for a while, than got their meals. After eating a sparse meal of a delicious noodle, Kasumi told Kel to do go to the masters in the library, and vanished into the moonlight.

Kel went to the see Masters Ryu, Ayate, Amody, and Uriah at the library. Master Uriah, much like Master Lindhall, was kind, and gave Kel several arithmetic problems to do and to hand in the next day. He smiled widely when she displayed her mathematical talent. "Well, young un'. Rarely do I see a lassie of your age so capable. When ever I

give questions to the other trainees, they groan and mutter like a load of old doors in the wind. Aye, you've promise, that's sure. Who'd be your masters?" Kel smiled inwardly at the man's praise, and replied, "Master Kasumi is teaching me, sir." Master Uriah's eyebrows shot up as an unreadable expression crossed his face, almost immediately replaced by a mask of indifference. "Kasumi, eh? Remarkable lass she is. Wise beyond her years. In fact-" He was interrupted by the twinkling of a mirror on his desk. Colorful sparks shot up and a strange tune began to play. Uriah stopped. "You'll excuse me, young miss. I've got what appears to be an urgent mage call on me hands. Come back tomorrow for more instruction!" He waved her out of the room. Kel, obedient, scampered out, shutting the screen behind her, filled with an insatiable curiosity to find out what the Master Uriah would have to do with an urgent mage call. Shaking her head at her own mental audacity to actually think of eavesdropping on Master Uriah, she continued to the next instructor.

Master Ryu presented his extensive collection of herbs and medicines, then gave her a short book to read on various Yamani plants and their healing properties, to be read by the end of the week. He scratched his chin as he looked at Kel, who was only a few inches shorter than him. "Who was your instructor in Tortall, Keladry?" Kel remembered the kind Master Lindhall and smiled wistfully. "Master Lindhall Reed was my instructor, sir." Master Ryu grinned. "Reed is a good friend of mine. You were under his tutelage for a year?" Kel nodded. "Good, good. Do your work and return it by the day after tomorrow." With that, Master Ryu waved her out of the room.

Master Ayate gave Kel a book on immortals and instructed her to write a paper on the immortal of her choice and return it to her at week's end. Master Amody began by giving Kel a quick overview of Scanra and telling her to read the proffered book on Scanran policies, imports, exports, and geographical and political points.

"Master Amody," Kel asked, "Do the Islands have any problems with Scanra?" Amody shook her head. "Nay, we are untouched by them. Several times the wolf-ships of the demon attackers land and attempt to raid the coast. Fortunately we have pushed them back most times. Villages that were too far from Imperial protection were scarred, but not destroyed. Our agents easily poison and kill those who are in the wolf-madness. It is simple enough when they see nothing but the kill. Such madness is berserk brutality. The body has no control, the common sense fled. Such is not the way an honorable duel is to be fought." Kel scratched her chin. "Master Amody, we mimic the movements of the animals in some of our attacks. Yet how is mimicking the wolf wrong?" Amody shook her head. "Nay. We mimic the animals and create forms that create fluidity of movement. They are drugged, insane. They are like wolves, with inhuman, primitive instinct. They answer to no one, blunder around, with the single purpose but to simply kill, and kill, and kill. They are animals." Amody spat the last three words, disgust evident in her voice. Kel nodded, remembering one attack on the coast near Mindelan, when a Scanran wolf-ship raided a village. The houses had burned and bodies were strewn everywhere. Kel, only 5 at the time, had the horrible images of blackened meat imprinted into her memory. She brought to mind one picture: a sheep, a gaping hole in its side, red blood staining the dirty white wool. Kel nodded. "I understand. Thank you, Master Amody." Kel was disgusted at herself when she heard the slight tremor in her voice. What kind of Shang was she? If Master Amody had noticed, she did not say anything. She nodded at Kel and dismissed her from the small room.

Finally Kel returned to her room. She placed the books she had been given on a nearby shelf, did the arithmetic problems easily, read part of the medicinal book and took notes, and browsed through the book on immortals. Finally she got up and managed to collapse on the floor, falling asleep nearly as soon as she touched the sleeping mat.


	7. Reunion

Kel awoke as normal. She was in the second week of her training. She dressed and went down to the practice courts, holding her wooden stave. She bowed deeply to Master Kasumi, and her training commenced. They started with the Dance of the Dragon, a series of poses that helped with mental, physical, and emotional relaxation. It also built up Kel's muscles. She was learning a simplified version of the Dance, after watching in awe as two of the Elders performed the intricate forms of the various strenuous stages.

They stretched and began reviewing the drills she had been taught. They went through a mock staff battle, where Kel applied her learning, and then switched into hand to hand combat. She went through various forms and tested her strength. When midday arrived, they took their meal on the bluffs. Kel was startled to see a ship anchored not too far away, yet far enough to stay clear of the treacherous coral reefs that provided protection from pirates. Because Kel had not left the training field, she had not seen the vessel come to the coast. She remembered seeing several attendants hurrying to and fro. She peered at the ship, squinting against the sun. It looked familiar, in a strange way. Green fire glinted as someone aboard the ship used their Gift to do something. Kel jumped up in surprise, her hazel eyes sharp as she looked at the ship. "Master Kasumi, may I go down to see that ship?" Kasumi smiled. "Certainly. In fact, I shall be detained for the rest of the afternoon. You may do as you wish, as long as you remember to meet the Masters in the library."

Kel bowed deeply, scrambled down the path leading to the top of the bluff, and careened towards the dock. As she neared the ship, she was greeted by roars of, "Lady Kel!" "Keladry!" and "Kel!" A red-haired figure dashed up to her and swept her up into a hug. Kel grinned and pushed him away from her roughly. Her voice rough, she punched Marcus in the arm and said, "Well I thought I'd never see you again." Marcus grinned. "Well, you'll find I'm not that easy to get rid of. Look, here comes Captain Matale." The swarthy man came up and hugged Kel quickly, then shook her hand formally. "Well, young Water-warrior, I'm glad to see you well. Come along, greet the others." Kel shook hands and hugged the rest of the crew, than was drawn aside by Captain Matale. "I see the storms of confusion swirling in your mind, young miss. Come with me and Vani, and we'll explain as much as we can."

Kel gave him a watery smile and followed him into a small housing complex. They settled into cushions around the low table, and Kel poured tea from a pot into small cups. Passing them around, she settled back and looked at Captain Matale. "Why is the Morning Sage here? When did you arrive? Is it just the Sage, or are there any hidden ships around? Where-" Captain Matale laughed and Vani smiled into her teacup, taking a small sip. "Whoa there, young miss. So many questions! Take a sip of tea and I'll explain everything that I can." Kel obeyed, taking a calming sip of tea to quell her excitement, trying to smooth her expression and her mind, thinking fervently of rocks at the bottom of a calm lake.

"You see, Miss Kel, we supply the Shangs here at the Order of the Phoenix. You will soon see that their arms stretch far, farther than any kingdom's spymaster's. The Order has a hand in nearly everything. One incident involving a member of our Order is not too subtle. You may have heard of Liam, the Shang Dragon?" Kel, shocked to hear this new information, remembered the stories of the Shang Warrior who had accompanied the Lioness herself and helped save the kingdom. She nodded mutely, and Rig continued, "Well, he was one of the Order's Elite. A brave man he was. He was sent to keep an eye on the new Lady Knight, Sir Alanna of Barony Olau. He sent back valuable information that helped the Order take steps to try to restore the peace that was straining between Tortall and the other countries.

"He succeeded in his mission, and his sacrifice allowed the survival of Tortall. I told you this story in order to help you understand the hand the Order has in many governments and "coincidences." Did you think it was chance that the Sage was the only passenger ship available at the time of your departure? The owners of the other ships found sails torn mysteriously, rigging fouled, oars broken, and their mages in a temporary coma-like sleep. Don't worry- the Order put everything back to rights afterwards, but by that time we were at sea. Everything happens for a reason, young miss, and the Shangs here have a few of their own." He put down his tea. "That's enough talk for now, my old bones are getting creaky, and a young snip like you should be out on the rigging or getting underfoot or something, right? I hope your stay has been eventful?"

Kel grinned and filled him in on what had happened to her. He chuckled when she told him of her "kidnapping". She told him that she was enjoying training, but she didn't go into details. When she was done, the tea was finished, and they all stood up to go outside.

The sun was low on the horizon, but not yet setting. Captain Rig headed down to his cabin for a good sleep, and Kel and Vani strolled on the deck, enjoying the slight sea breeze that blew in, filling her nostrils with the refreshing, salty scent. Kel seated herself on top of an overturned crate, while Vani sat on a barrel that was half-full of the oh-so-precious fresh water. They sat in companionable silence for a while, and Kel sat back and watched the gulls swoop above them and the light of the sun hit the rippling waves of the sheltered bay. Vani finally stood, thrusting a hand at Kel. "I wish you well, young one. I feel that this will certainly not be our last meeting. May the Mother light your path." Kel shook her hand. "And yours," she replied. Vani wove her way through the cargo that littered the deck and climbed disappeared as she climbed down the hatch. Kel looked around, lonely. Suddenly a call from above her frightened her out of her wits. "Miss Keladry!"

Kel looked up. In the crow's nest sat a red-haired figure waving down at her. She smiled and waved back. He gestured wildly for her to come up, but Kel hesitated. Finally, he carefully descended and led her to the rigging. She stared up at the seemingly sea of ropes that extended for what looked like eternity to her. Hesitantly she climbed up a few feet, then jerked to a stop as she felt someone climb up behind her. "It's just me, Miss Kel." Reassured by Marcus's voice, she climbed shakily up to the crow's nest, entering and squeezing her eyes tightly shut, afraid of the distance. Marcus climbed up behind her, and he turned her around, so that she felt the railing in front of her. "Open your eyes, Miss Keladry. It's alright." Calmed, but not totally reassured, she opened her eyes a crack. Then she opened them a little more. Then she opened them fully, so that she could see everything. The scene before her was _beautiful_. Rippling waves spread out far into the horizon on one side, while the peaceful jungle and few Shang buildings stood before her. The intricate Yamani architecture of the buildings enhanced nature, not blocked it. She took in a slow breath.

Marcus grinned at Kel's facial expression. "Beautiful, isn't it?" he asked. A shadow crossed his face. "Almost like-" He trailed off, leaving his words to hang in the air. Kel, not wanting to press, and enjoying the scenery, rested her hands on the railing of the crow's nest and drank in the rippling light reflecting off the water and the quiet splashing of waves on the sides of the boat and the rock face not too far away. They stood in silence.

Marcus quietly said, "A person very dear to me showed me the wonder of Yaman from such a view as this. She was beautiful, and I wish you could have met her. She would have liked you, I think." Kel nodded, asking, "Who was she?" Marcus shook his head firmly. "It's not important now; she's gone, and nothing will change that. I think it would be best if you go now, Miss Kel. Your Masters may be waiting for you. Do you need help going down?" Kel, seeing the need for solitude in her friend's face, shook her head and quietly lowered herself to the rigging, where she descended, thinking about what Marcus had said. She didn't even notice the height of the crow's nest or the distance down she traveled.

When she reached land, she turned back and waved at the small figure in the crow's nest. There was no reply. Thoughtful, Kel headed towards the library.

**_A/N:_** _Hello! I suppose I should get around to writing one of these. This is one of my shorter chapters. Now you say, "What, I waited these long weeks, and all you've got to show for it is some crummy two-and-a-half pagechapter!" Forgive me, readers. School is overwhelming, and in the whole- what- two months or so I haven't updated, I have worked perhaps two to three hours on this chapter total… This is also one of my shorter chapters in that I couldn't settle on a more fitting ending. Please read and review! If I don't feel like there are enough reviewers, I shall quit writing this totally! Mwahahahahahaaa, ha ha… erm. cough I'm kidding. But please, R&R. Thanks!_


	8. Assasin

Kel sat up. Dressing silently, she stalked down the hallway, practice stave in hand. The Morning Sage had sailed about a month back, Kel not having spoken to Marcus since that fateful meeting on the ship. She had paid her farewells to Vani, the captain, and the other members of the crew late the night before. Marcus was no where to be seen. Kel sighed and lowered the rope ladder. She quickly descended the ladder, not noticing that since the night she had seen Marcus last, she did not fear heights half as much as before. She walked into the woods that surrounded the clearing where she and Kasumi trained. She flitted from shadow to shadow, her Shang learning kicking in as she stayed alert for any movement around her. The early gray dawn light was late in coming, as the days were getting shorter and the nights longer. The waxing crescent shed ghostly light on the trees, rocks and shrubbery all around her. Trees cast long shadows, providing plenty of cover for Kel but also for any other possible attackers. She slinked through the trees, quiet as a cat. She saw the clearing, and she relaxed. She silently approached the solitary figure of her Master, attempting to take the woman by surprise. Quickly she dashed the last two or three paces and lashed out with her stave. She threw all of her strength into the blow, knowing that her Sensei would counter-attack as usual and send her backwards. However, things were different this time. Kel's stave connected solidly with her master's side, sending the figure to a painful looking thump in the dirt. Kel, aghast, knelt down beside the prone form of her Master. "Damn…" she muttered. She flipped the stiff body over and gazed into the face of… a straw dummy.

Kel immediately stood up, feeling a presence at her back. It was a trap. She stood up and whirled around, meeting the downward swipe of the attacker's katana. The weapon hit Kel's stave at an angle and skidded to the side, narrowly missing cutting off one of Kel's fingers. She followed up the attack swiftly with a quick swipe to the legs. The person sidestepped. The katana was a blur in the air as the figure attacked. Kel blocked as swiftly as she could, sending splinters of fragmented wood into the air. Kel suddenly saw an opening in her opponent's defense, and swung her staff, hard, into it. The person reeled backwards, one hand involuntarily going to their ribs, which Kel had felt several of crack under the force of the blow. Kel followed up with blurring speed, battering the person through their now-weak defenses. Finally, Kel found another opening and hit the person on the side of the head, not hard enough to kill, but hard enough to stun. The figure crumpled to the ground, unconscious. Kel quickly untied the length of rope from her waist that served as a belt and secured her prisoner. She dragged the man from the clearing to the fringe of the forest. Untying the mask from behind the attacker's ears, Kel saw that her opponent was a man, shorter than her. A scar ran down his cheekbone, starting at the corner of his left eye and stopping just short of his lip. Kel sat, waiting for her master to arrive. The person gradually came to life. "Ungghhh…" She tapped his chest with the tip of his own katana. "Who are you? Who are you working for?" She shook him a bit. The man shook his head, and pointed to his mouth. Opening it, Kel was horrified to see that the man had no tongue. Severed, the stump kept the man from revealing anything about his employer or himself.

Kel studied her prisoner as the man slipped back into unconsciousness. A silver hoop hung from one ear. Kel looked at a tear in the cloth on his right shoulder, seeing something marring the skin beneath. Kel pulled the man's sleeve to the side and peered at it. Within a circle was a tiny figure. The figure was that of a dragon, coiled within itself. Kel looked even closer, not surprised to see that the crest was burned into the man, like a common brand used for cattle. Kel heard a crunching in the dirt. She dragged her prisoner a bit deeper into the forest and watched the clearing, fearing yet another trap.

A person accompanied by two guards strode into the clearing. Kel wasn't sure, but the middle person looked a lot like Kasumi. The middle person let out a short bird trill. Kel knew then that that was her master. She stood up, and dragged out her prisoner. She let out a warning crow caw, and watched as Kasumi came over to Kel. "Master, are you all right?" she asked. "I am fine." She said. "I was poisoned, yet being immune to such things, it only took me a while to recover. We were attacked by a group of rogue assassin Shang, calling themselves The Association of the Dragon. I see you met one of the members." Kasumi knelt down, examining the man's scar. Swiftly, she ripped the earring out of the man's ear. The man screamed, a purely animal scream, his back arching, his head snapping back. His eyelids shot open to reveal the whites of the eyeballs, as blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth. Suddenly he fell still, silent as the grave. Kasumi turned from a shocked Kel to the two Shang who had accompanied her. "Take this man and burn him with the rest. The pyre should be somewhere relatively far from view of the ocean." Kasumi turned back to Kel, tossing the earring and her gloves onto the body. "Come, my student. I have to tell you things I fear I should have told you far earlier."

Kel kneeled, seating herself beside her Sensei as she poured tea for both of them. They were in one of Kasumi's private rooms. Kel had passed through many twists and turns in the Mountain. Soon she had lost her way in the myriad of curves, stairwells, and hallways that threaded through the mountain.

"You are pensive, Keladry," Master Kasumi remarked as she sipped at her tea. Kel was, openly exhibiting her impatience as she fidgeted from side to side, lifting her cup then setting it down once more. Kel dove within herself to the image of the calm lake, and steadied herself as well as she could. "Yes, Sensei." Kasumi nodded. "You have every right to be. I will explain things from the beginning. But, you must remember, an emotion in the face is a dagger in the ribs. Be careful who you show yourself to, and who you do not." Kel nodded, still impatient, but fighting to hide it.

"The Association of the Dragon is one that is almost as old as the Order of the Phoenix. When the original Phoenix thrived and trained only a few students, there was a young prodigy. He was headstrong. He was Tortallan, a young man who had been raised in Shang ways. His name was Ahlan. He struggled against his Masters, pushing to be raised to the highest levels in his group. He bullied others, and the Masters let this go on, because fighting did nothing but strengthen, or else die. But, the Masters made a very big mistake. Though they fought for inner stability within the young student, Ahlan refused to be tamed. Soon, the truth came out.

Ahlan had the Gift. And he was powerful. Bit by bit, he had gained control over his masters. No one knew how he learned to control his Gift, but he had. He had made small figures of the Masters, so he could control each one of them. He Bound each Sensei, except for the Shang Phoenix. The Phoenix was one he had never seen before in his life. For this, he was angry. He wanted to take control of the Shang Council, bind them to his will and seize power over the Shang. And through his anger, he raged. He slowly, painfully tortured the Masters through unseen ways, until they, with all their Shang teachings and mastery, broke. He was elected to the role of second-in-commander.

He spent his time searching, searching through the records of any trace of where the Master may have been. But, he found nothing. He tortured each and every Sensei to death, for they did not know of the Phoenix's whereabouts, but still he pressed. He brought greedy, selfish cronies to places where the strongest and noblest of the Masters once sat. He wormed his way into the early government of the Islands and sent his followers to corrupt everything they came across. The Order of the Phoenix was reviled, a sick, twisted organization that hungered for power." Kasumi's voice tightened, her eyes black ice. "Eventually, the land fell into despair. The Phoenix was no where to be found, the people were starving and hungry. But, at the last moment, the Phoenix arrived. They said she arrived on fiery wings, with the protection of the gods, a jewel bound on her forehead and a flaming sword in her hand." Kel looked as if she were going to ask something.

"No, Keladry. This is not the story of the Tortallan Lioness. This was hundreds of centuries beforehand. She entered combat with the Dark One, and the land was saved. But, in the final battle, as the Phoenix struck, a traitor, a simple footsoldier, had been instructed with one purpose. Kill the Phoenix. In retrospect, this could not have been helped. He was under Ahlan's spell. As the Phoenix delivered a crushing blow to the helmet of the Dark One, a single dart infused with the blood of Chaos struck the Phoenix in the neck. The Dark One was killed, but the Phoenix wasted away before the eyes of her followers. It is said that she thrust her sword deep into the ground and called out in tongues of fire, 'It is Done. In the time of Destruction, I will return.

Seek the one from traitor's land 

When darkness comes from Dark One's hand

A tree of Ash, a crown of Steel

A band of light and darkness real

The Scarrêd One, whose arrow flies swift 

The Markêd One, whose blade doth not miss

The Firstborn and the Lastborn too

When armies amass I return to you.

Meet upon Argahz's plain

Where friend and foe doth meet again

Seek the one with kinfolk none

And look upon the burning sun

And then will you meet Me again

When Gods send mortals down to men.'"

Kasumi stopped, suddenly pensive, as she absently stared into her tea cup. Then she began again, "There was a flash of light, which spread to the ends of the earth. All was cleansed. The stench, the bodies, they all were gone. And so was the battlefield. There was a great Island, bigger than any that remain, where the battle was fought. It was gone. The entire Island. We know it exists, because records stored elsewhere in the Islands showed a great land mass, smaller than Tortall, but twice the size of all the Yamani Islands put together. It disappeared. No one lived on it- most of it was rocky plain, barren desert, and in the very center, a huge volcano surrounded by a great sea, with the tip soaring into the clouds. It was called, in Tortallan, the Heart of the World. People were astounded. Ships sailed back and forth, searching the seas, yet there was nothing there. All the warriors from the Battle were transported to their own shores. Those with the Phoenix lived in peace and restored the Order. Those with the Dark One faded into the shadows. And there, unnoticed by the Order, like a wound that festered without treatment, thrived the Association of the Dragon. It was founded by the followers of the Dark One. They gathered men to their side, converting some and twisting the minds of powerful others. I'm surprised that they dared attack us, what with us just having replenished our supplies. We are greater in number, and have far more allies both in the Islands and abroad. Yet they too have had powerful allies. Have you heard of Emperor Ozorne of Carthak? Of Duke Roger of Conte of Tortall? Maggur Rathausak of Scanra? These, and many more, are part of the Association of the Dragon. Yet, all of these people had their papers and learning knowledge burned when they died, so as not to pass on the deadly Gifted secrets. However, this move also obliterated any evidence and information of the person's ties to the Association of the Dragon. You ask why I killed that man. He was deaf and dumb. He was illiterate. In the Association of the Dragon, they are lower than footsoldiers in the Tortallan army. He lived in torment already. You didn't have to look to see scars from whips across his back. Only the stupidest ones are Branded- the common fighters. The elite, the ones with any power, Gift, or knowledge, have special tattoos, with definition as to their ranks, and their position. These are dark times, Keladry of Mindelan. Dark times indeed. We will return to speaking of this later. Now, I must attend to Council matters. Go and study with Master Uriah and the others. We must find the traitor that let us be fooled into this sense of comfort. When we find the traitor, well…" Kasumi let her voice drift off as her eyes filled with thoughts of other things. Kel nodded and padded out of the room, shutting the screen behind her and quietly asking a nearby assistant for directions to the outside world, with fresh air, green trees, and land that was free of decay. At least, for now. Author's Note: I'm sorry I haven't updated for so long, I hope this chapter makes up for the wait. What's a Tamora Pierce fanfiction without a Prophecy? I've been suffering from SWBS, or Severe Writer's Block Syndrome. I was just kidding last chapter about dropping this story. Please Read and Review- this is my first fanfic, and I'd like some commentary about how I can improve. 

Thanks!

-Lana Storm-born 


	9. Test

Chapter 10: Remembrance

Kel yawned and stretched, sitting up and then getting to her feet. She took up her staff, washed her face, and padded down the hallway to the opening she had gone to almost every morning of the several years she had been at the Order of the Phoenix. She swung herself over the side of the edge, gripping handholds in a practiced manner as she descended. Her bare feet hit the rough ground, and Kel took the stave from her shoulder harness and stalked down the path to the well-known clearing. As she walked, she fondly looked back at all the memories she had of being a student at the Order. She remembered the rejection of Lord Wyldon. She smiled at the memory. It was probably better that she was now learning the secrets of Shang.

She studied from the extensive scrolls and books from the Order's vast historic library; she had mastered the use of the Yamani longbow as well as the Carthaki recurved bow. She was expert at wielding a katana, Tortallan swords, knives, spears, axes, her glaive, nunchaku, the shukusen, throwing stars (and knives), as well as using her staff to great effect. She was average at use of the halberd, crossbow, and various other instruments of war. For hand-to-hand combat, Keladry of Mindelan was no weakling. She was a ninth dan black belt in various types of martial arts and a seventh in others. The interesting thing was, was that she had picked up these skills with barely any training. She could flow into any pose, striking with fists and feet to devastating effect. It was as if she was born with the talent. Strength was no matter to her; the six foot tall brunette had not a single inch of fat anywhere on her body- she was shapely, but also incredibly muscular.

Her talents were amazing- others called her a prodigy. But weaponry and war were not her only expertise. She was fluent in Scanran, Yamani, Tortallan, and Carthaki. She knew a smattering of several other languages from the teachings she got from the crew of the Morning Sage, the ship that had first introduced her to the life of Shang. Kel was also incredibly resilient. She had been trained in the identification of poisons and the resistance of them. She was able to live alone in the wild for weeks with leaving little or no trace of her stay. She read books on logic, rhetoric, and grammar, as well as astronomy, geometry, music, art, and arithmetic. Though she was no expert, she knew a bit about potions and healing elixirs. She was able to construct a crude form of truth serum without the help of the Gift. She could bind wounds, and if necessary, stitch cuts closed, even if they were her own, without anything to numb the pain. Kel's thoughts were also on another subject.

Marcus Lyons. He was tall and cocky, funny, intelligent, as well as wiser than one would think for his age. For his recent 25th birthday, Keladry had sent him a gold pendant from the ancient wreckage of a Scanran death ship that had been unearthed on the Scanran coast. Because Keladry was closer in size to the native Scanrans of the area, she and Master Kasumi, in disguise, had traveled to investigate the area several months back. They had made various sketches of runes decorating the boat, as well as taking subtle samples of the wood. They had also taken some important-looking weapons, that seemed to have the touch of the Gift on them, and could be dangerous in the wrong hands. They took also some valuable Gift-touched items such as a golden chalice, a string of 6 quartered circles made of varying materials, as well as a harp and horn. Kel had seen the small chain and pendant beside the dead man's decayed corpse, and had taken it. Kasumi tested the pendant for possible Gifted power, and indeed it did possess some.

After investigation, it was decided that it possessed minor healing powers. Kel had been allowed to keep it, as well as a small golden ring that the Gift had passed out of long ago. She wore the ring on a chain around her neck. Marcus had written back that he liked the gift very much, and that he wore it all the time. He had been promoted to Ship's Healer, and he said that the pendant always gave him strength, especially when he thought of the person who gave it to him. She blushed when she read that portion of that letter. She was so confused about him, indifferent one moment then flaming red the next. With a sigh, Kel stopped thinking about him, thinking more about her past experiences.

As a test of her knowledge, Kel and Kasumi ventured out into the rural parts of the Islands. Kel learned more of diplomacy when mediating an argument, clearing up brawls, and assisting with trade. Kel also was introduced to many of the secret places on the island. For instance, there was the group of wildmages that spoke with creatures and had used an entire island for preserving several species. In the many years she served under Kasumi, she had only ventured with her Master to the main cities maybe once every two or three years. Sometimes, Kel found that her Sensei had disappeared to another part of the world for days at a time, leaving Kel to work with the other students under the other masters.

Because she had spent so much time with her Master, Kel didn't get to know the other students very well. They always stayed away from her, and anyway, they, as model Yamani Shang, didn't talk much anyway. She almost preferred that, so she could get on with her studies. But she still missed the companionship of that one year in Tortall. She learned however, and it helped immensely. Early in her training she sat by herself, just thinking about her Tortallan friends. She would try to write them letters, but the force of remembering was just too painful. After accumulating a pile of parchment at the base of the desk she used, she gave up, packed up her quill, and left. Kel sighed. The day that she left was still fresh in her memory. She thought back to another fond memory.

Often her dreary days without her Master were depressing and boring. But when the Morning Sage was there, it was no problem at all. She and Marcus would sit for long hours talking about anything and everything. She and Erich Waterstone would spend time working with mathematics, soon she was as good as he was. Once the quartermaster had looked her over and said, "If you decide to give up this mad Shang idea, come to me. I'm in need of a bright student like you. Imagine, a scholar like this going off to bash the brains out of her enemies!" Kel had smiled then, and she did so now.

Captain Matale was considering handing the ship over soon, he said that "these bones will soon go out with the tide, that's how bloody waterlogged they are." Vani was teaching her more about the Copper Islands, and told her great tales of all the places the Morning Sage went for trade. Kel wished that she could go half the places the crew went. They traveled to all the mainland shore countries as well as Jindazhen in the west and the Far Western Islands.

Kel also had her share of travels. She had gone to Tyra, Tusaine, and Scanra, as well as a diplomatic mission to Carthak. There she had learned of the condition of the rural areas, of the state of the court there, and of various other government workings. She had met with Ambassadors from Jindazhen, the Copper Isles, and other countries as a guard and Junior Representative of the Order of the Phoenix, for those who knew about it, such as members of the ambassadors' honor guards, to give them information and updates on their respective missions.

She enjoyed her job, even if she wasn't doing much. Yet for some reason, she did not go to Tortall. In her more than decade of training as a Shang, she did not meet any ambassadors from Tortall, nor venture anywhere closer than a swift sighting of the coast on the way to Scanra. She did not pass through Tortall, nor even go near the borders of it. She did miss her friends dearly, but she wasn't really affected by the loss. With the death of Princess Chisakami, she had seen her parents a few times each year, but only told them that she was under the training of a Shang master. They accepted that, and they often talked about other things. Kel sighed once more.

Kel had let her hair grow long. Well, she had let part of her hair grow long, and then braided the long portion so that it hung down almost to her hips. She played absentmindedly with her braid, walking swiftly from tree to tree.

She reached the clearing. Kasumi was waiting there for her. Kasumi had not changed much since Kel had first met her. Always when Kel thought she knew her Master, something different always came up. Kel remembered with a slight shudder the day she had first had experiences with the Association of the Dragon. They had been attacked openly twice in the Kel's knowledge and stay, not counting the first encounter.

There were internal talks of sabotage, but whatever it was was settled swiftly. Kel knew, from her talks with Kasumi, that the traitors had been killed and disposed of when information was taken. This was not decided in cold blood. The spies possessed vital Order information, and releasing them did no good. The Association also did not negotiate. Kel was not overly concerned. Their attacks were easily countered. But Kel feared that these were just diversions. From what no one knew. Kel pushed these thoughts aside as she bowed deeply to her Master.

"Sensei," she said respectfully. Kasumi bowed in turn. "Come with me, it is a matter of great importance," replied the woman. Kel towered over her Master, but she was still an intimidating presence, even when not infuriated. Kasumi walked over to the two horses saddled on the edge of the clearing. Kasumi had a slight limp, due to a shoddily healed torn muscle. But her limp was almost unnoticable to those who did not know her. It didn't hamper her at all, as Kel learned as often as she got beaten at the hands of her master. She followed Kasumi to the saddled Hoshi and Hikari, the two mares nibbling at the grass and whickering gently to each other. Hoshi was a gift to Kel on her twentieth birthday from the crew of the Morning Sage and her Master Kasumi. Kel figured that they were going on a walk through the woods, as Peachblossom was not there. Kel mounted up, wondering for what seemed to be the thousandth time in her life, _has anyone ever mounted down?_ Kasumi sat, straight backed, on Hikari, beside her.

They set off in a companionable silence. Kel had learned to understand that her sensei preferred not talking, and in a way, so did Kel. They turned down what looked like an old game path. They rode for about an hour, talking of nothing. Kel kept her eyes on the trees, forever wary. They rode one behind the other, Kel in the back. Suddenly, Master Kasumi stopped, so abruptly that Hoshi also stopped and sent Kel forward in the saddle. Kasumi dismounted, and Kel followed.

"Today, you shall set eyes on the full council. Here I am to instruct you before you face Them. You have come far, young pupil, in the ways of the Shang. When you pass this line of trees, you will face the most powerful of our Order in the sacred rite of passage. In the Final Test. The Masters have found you worthy, young one. Worthy in prowess, and in wisdom. Do not think your kindness towards others was not heeded. They have seen, and They approve. I am your Guardian, and I will ask you The Questions, the first part of the Final Test. Are you ready?"

Kel was dumbfounded. The Final Test was reserved for those who would be Named. They would be given their title, such as the Shang Dragon, Wildcat, Horse, and others. Kel didn't even know where to start. With a wry grin, she thought back to the time she had first been introduced to Shang, by the messenger at Yukimi's house. The feeling she had felt then came back to her now, multiplied ten-fold. _Gods preserve me! Mithros, Goddess! Is this true?_ Kasumi smiled. "I know the very thoughts that are passing through your head. I suggest you shut your mouth, a fly might venture near." Kel weakly closed her jaws, knowing and feeling that her face was blanched white. "Master Kasumi, I all fairness, I don't feel that I'm ready for this honor, or even deserve it! I have so much more to learn! There is-" Kasumi shook her head and gently laid a finger on Kel's lips. "Quiet, young one. Think. There is nothing more for you here. The Order needs you, Keladry. You have been a great joy to teach, and you will be an even greater comrade. It is your time." _That- she's showing emotions!_ Kel thought to herself. Indeed, Kasumi looked almost like she was going to cry. Kel almost felt like crying too. It was such a big step. She'd miss Kasumi when she was off doing her missions. Composing herself, she sighed wearily. "I am ready." Kasumi then said, "Then, let us begin."

"What is the Shang Code?"

"Honor is my life"

"Do you live by the Code?"

"I do."

"Do you swear to use your skills in defense of others?"

"I do."

"What is it you strive for?"

"I strive to protect my country, my comrades, and my allies."

"Give name to those you give fealty to."

"I honor great Yama, Mithros, and the Goddess."

"Then proceed, student, to the Final Test."

Kel stood back, straightened her clothing, and stepped forward into the harsh sunlight.

Author's Note: Oooh! Cliffie! Sorry, I take evil pleasure in doing these things. Anyway, I'm sorry about the sudden year jump, I really needed to get to the important part. I'm thinking of doing another fanfic after this one, about what I'll term Kel's Lost Years. To any avid fantasy readers, find a list of things that _may_ have been important parts of a popular fantasy series in my fanfic. Kudos to the person who finds them! Read and review, and tell me if you found the items.

-Lana Storm-born

; D


	10. Destiny

Chapter 10: Destiny

Kel shaded her eyes as she walked out of the cooling shade of the forest into the bright, harsh sunlight. She was astounded by what she saw. There was a slightly raised platform that was incredibly familiar. It was like a large mat, one that was used for sparring. Around it, were seated the fourteen members of the Council of the Order of the Phoenix. But there was one chair in the very middle, the fifteenth chair that sat empty. Kel was startled to see the familiar faces of her teachers, Masters Ryu, Ayate Amody, and Uriah at four of the seats. Behind each seat was a person clad all in black, from their facial mask that left nothing showing but their eyes, to their shirt, to their leggings, to their Yamani cloth shoes. Kel stepped forward then glanced back uneasily. There was no sign of Master Kasumi, or of the two horses. Kel almost sighed. _I really should get used to that…_

Kel stepped forth and bowed to each of the Masters in turn. They each nodded their heads; the people behind them were unmoved. An elderly man, who Kel recognized vaguely as an adept called Master Katsunan Ishimura, stood and adressed her. In a strong voice that one would have expected from a person much younger, he said, "You who have come to the Council for the Naming, name yourself to us." Kel gulped. "I am called Keladry of Mindelan, Master." He nodded. "You come into the presence of the Shang Unicorn," he pointed at Ayate, "the Shang Tiger," he gestured at Master Ryu, "The Shang Deer," pointing at Amody, " and the Shang Owl," he said, pointing to Master Uriah. "There is also the Shang Hawk," he said, pointing to a man with a beaky nose and sharp, intelligent features. "The Shang Mantis," He said, pointing to a tall (but not as tall as Keladry) woman with, when she smiled, pointed teeth. "Myself, the Shang Boar, the Shang Ox," gesturing first at himself then the man two seats from him, with shoulders that seemed as broad as a plow. "The Shang Rat," he pointed at a man with a thin, triangular face and lank greasy hair. "The Shang Rabbit," he said, pointing at a woman who was tall and strong. "The Shang Monkey," pointing to a woman who grinned and winked cheerily at Kel. "The Shang Bat," pointing at a woman with long arms. "The Shang Lion," pointing at a woman with a mane of flaming red hair, "and the Shang Snake," pointing to a shrewd looking man at the end.

Kel bowed once more, even shakily now, unnerved by the row of emotionless faces. "We are the Council, and sit here in judgement. You have come to acquire a Name and position for yourself in our ranks. You have been Questioned by your Master?" Kel nodded. "We shall test you first in your knowledge, and then in your martial skills." Kel nodded, stood even more stiffly(if that was even possible) and readied herself.

The Masters each asked questions about political affairs, both current and historical. They asked about Yamani, Tortallan, Carthaki, Copper Island, Gallan, Tyran, Scanran, and Tusainian historic battles. They quizzed her on important current political figures as well as historical figures. They questioned her on medicine and the history of it, as well as the healing properties of various plants. They asked her about each god and His or Her name in each country, as well as the fine points of the Immortals War. They tested her knowledge of the breeding habits, the feeding, the life of Immortals, both sentient and beastly. They asked her questions about military strategies and weaponmaking. They asked her how she would combat the Gift, should she meet such an opponent. They probed her knowledge of sea voyaging, hunting, tracking, and surviving in the wild, alone. Finally they tested her grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, astronomy, court behavior, and geometry.

"That is enough," said Master Ishimura. The sun was now high in the sky. Kel knew it to be about an hour after lunch. She did not hunger, however, knowing how to control her body and work without food for more than a day at a time. "Your knowledge has passed the Spoken Test. Now you must ready yourself for the martial test. You will spar against a group of five, a group of three, and a pair of apprentices, for a total of three minutes per match. As in the time-honored tradition of the Shang, you will fight hand-to-hand, without weapons. You may choose your opponents from our Apprentices. Choose five."

The people behind the Masters stepped forward. All of them wore black belts. Kel chose a first-dan, two second-dans, a third dan, and a fourth dan. They formed a circle around the waiting Kel, a black circle around the heart of white. The Shang Ox called out the Yamani word for begin. There was a sudden flurry of action. The two second-dans moved in to attack. Kel blocked the punch of one and tossed the second into the third-dan, quickly removing the third-dan as a threat, as he circled around, mainly avoiding the fray and gingerly touching either cracked or bruised ribs. With a swift kick, Kel forced the wind out of the first-dan Apprentice.

She twisted and pulled at the fourth-dan and sent her crashing into the other second-and first- dan Apprentices. Soon the fight was over. All five of Kel's enemies lay on the ground, wheezing from pain, or, in the case of one of the second-dan and the third-dan, unconscious, one felled by a vicious backhand chop to the temple and the other to crashing repeatedly into the other fighters. Kel was barely breathing heavily, with sweat just beginning to show up on her forehead, and that was mainly from the heat of the sun, not exertion.

Kel was surprised at herself. During the entire battle, she felt as if she were floating on air, delivering kicks, punches, and throws with little effort, as if picking up and tossing down pieces of paper. The Shang Masters were staring at her, the expressions on their faces unreadable. The Shang Ox called out the time. The three minutes were over. The conscious apprentices stood and helped the other two to awaken and leave the sparring mat.

The next two battles were the same. Kel called out her choices and defeated them as easily as before. The Masters said nothing. After Kel helped the two seventh-dans she had defeated stand up, she bowed to the Masters. The Shang Boar, Master Ishimura, stood once more, his apprentice, one of the seventh-dans she picked, wheezing quietly behind him, nursing a blackened eye and bruised arm.

"You have sparred with the best of our Apprentices. Now, you must come to battle with the greatest of our Order. You shall spar with the Shang Phoenix." Kel nearly staggered back with confusion. The Phoenix? She was never that close to that level. There was no chance she would survive. _Gods preserve me! Mithros, Goddess, Yama, I need Your help, please!_ Kel bowed deeply to the assembled Council. When she looked up, there was a figure standing in front of her. This person was attired like the Apprentices, with a black mask, tunic, cloth shoes, and leggings. The only difference was that the black belt around her, for Kel saw the figure to be a woman's, waist was embroidered with an swimming design of gold lines. The lines never seemed to stop moving- they twined along the black fabric like a living vine of gold. Kel tore her eyes from her opponent's eyes and centered her view on her torso.

The starting word was called, and both combatants whirled into action. Kel fought, oddly detached, as if she were drifting above like a bird and watching the action. At first the two people were evenly matched. They traded blow for blow, block for block. Kel attacked in a flurry of kicks, only to be deflected by arms that felt like steel. She blocked in turn, and the match went on. The three minutes seemed to stretch into eternity. Kel felt the resistance of her opponent seem to drain away, as if she was weakening. Kel battered her assailant's defense with various kicks, punches, and feints.

For Kel, it was only herself and the Phoenix. Suddenly, there was an opening. Kel feinted swiftly at her opponent's legs and sent her fist into the space. Fist met flesh with a dull thud and a whoosh of air as the breath was pummeled from her opponent's lungs. The Phoenix fell backwards, dropping and rolling. The Ox called the end of the match just before the Phoenix hit the ground. Kel rushed over to her opponent, horrified at what she had done. "Are you all right?" she asked urgently in Yamani. "I am fine," replied the Phoenix. Kel stopped cold. The voice was familiar to her. How could it not be?

The Phoenix sat up and gently tugged the mask off of her face. The cloth was pulled up to reveal a familiar pair of eyes. Eyes of Kel's master, mentor, and adoptive mother. Kasumi smiled at Kel's dumbfounded face. "Greetings, my daughter."

_What? How? When? What's going on? Is this some kind of trick? If anyone jumps up and says Sakuyo laughs, I'm going to brain them._ Kel's thoughts whirled as she kneeled in the dust before the chair of her Master. She bowed all the way to the ground. "No, Keladry." Kel looked up to the pair of kind eyes. She met the calm gaze with her unsteady one, then felt a calmness sweep over her. "You who have come to be Named, you have completed the Mortal Tasks with great honors. Now, you must come with me, to the final Testing Ground."

Kasumi stood and put a hand out to Kel. Kel took it gratefully and used her mentor's support to haul herself to her feet. She walked past the fourteen Council members, each of them holding a shocked, amazed, puzzled, and a myriad of other expressions on their faces. Even the Apprentices stared. The Phoenix was unbeatable. This could not happen! Kel found it funny in a strange way that she could finally tell what they were thinking by reading the expressions on their faces.

Kel and Kasumi were silent as they made it past the Council and Apprentices. Kel was pensive, her walk quick and jerking, while Kasumi walked sedately beside her. _What is going on!_ Kel kept thinking to herself. "Master- I mean, Phoenix-," Kasumi placed a gentle finger on Kel's lips, like ages ago, when they had their conversation in the trees. Kel shut up, and they continued on. Kel and Kasumi ventured to the far end of the clearing, to a place wreathed in shadow. There was an opening in the rock of the cliff face there, a space just big enough to squeeze into. The darkness within, when inspected from a distance, was lit by some eerie light from within the cave. Kel felt a warm hand on her shoulder. "For all Shang, whether powerful or weak, intelligent or not, this is the ultimate test. What goes on within is sacred. Go in, and take whatever you find there. When you are done, come to us, and be Named as an official member of our Order. Know this, Keladry," she said, leaning in close. "I have loved you all these years like a mother loves a daughter. There is nothing that can come between us. May the power of the support of all of us strengthen and guide you. Now. This is the final Testing Ground. Go within, and discover your destiny."

Author's note: Yay for cliffies! Haha. Sorry, I love doing this. Ah well, hopefully you'll be coming back for more. I'll try and post this as soon as I can. I am happy and incredibly proud of myself to have finished the tenth chapter of the Chronicles of Keladry with the help of all of my faithful readers. Just as a bit of a note- it's 10:40 PM, February 5. Wow, I'm a nut. I wanted to stop, but I just (yawn) couldn't… twitches and falls asleep on desktop


	11. Realization

Chapter 11: Finality

Kel took a hesitant step into the cavern, hunching over and bending her knees. Several feet into the tunnel, patches of a strange white moss were visible. The moss gave off a sort of eerie green-white light that, instead of banishing shadows, seemed to make the black shape even bigger. Kel was creeped out, shivering as the tunnel slanted even lower and the air chilled.

The tunnel widened so that she could stand up with her head almost brushing the ceiling. She walked for what seemed like hours. Kel's self control slowly weakened by the pressures of the day, and all the thoughts whirling around in her head. A headache throbbed behind her temples, and her stomach growled at her. Kel paused a moment to think, and rub her forehead. She leaned against the wall.

Looking back into the blackness of the tunnel, she saw once more that she couldn't see the entrance. She had lost sight of it long ago, but still she looked over her shoulder. She started to slide down the wall, the toll of all that work taking effect. Her muscles throbbed. Kel inwardly cursed the bloody adrenaline boost that had gotten her through the sparring. She was even more confused in mind about Kasumi, her dear master, being the Shang Phoenix.

_Well, that explains a lot! _Kel berated herself for being not observant enough. How could she miss it? All the frequent trips, the diplomacy meetings? Kel felt like a total idiot. She had been trained in her Shang arts, but she didn't feel like she knew anything. She knew about different healing plants, and different political figures, but she felt incredibly ignorant about the world.

_Press on, sister. Do not be afraid._ Kel gave a start as the long-forgotten voice came into her head. She had not heard the voice since her arrival at the Order, all those years ago. But something was different; the voice was far more urgent, commanding. It had also called her sister. _Time is short. You must come, or all is lost! Come forth, now, and fear not._ Kel staggered to her feet and set out doggedly once more.

After about what could have been an hour or ten minutes, Kel emerged into a huge underground cavern. The huge rocky walls stretched up, up, higher than anything Kel could see. Flickering torches in sconces lit the room in hesitant, sputtering light. Dark shadows danced in all the wrong places; Kel's heart rose to her throat with some kind of unknown fear. In the middle of the large circular cavern was a throne, elaborately worked with gold and rubies. Upon the throne sat a cloaked figure. The figure stood.

The hood of the black cloak was drawn back. Kel was amazed to see the face of her mentor, Kasumi. The mouth opened, and a cold, unfamiliar voice spoke. "Come to me, daughter. All have abandoned you, and everything is lost. Come to me and share my eternal sleep. The Order will control you, and you will be Their slave. Abandon them, and come to the darkness with me…" Kel saw welcoming darkness behind Kasumi, reaching cold tendrils out to ensnare her, sending snakes of dark matter dancing around the figure on the throne.

The darkness entranced, and chilled Kel to the marrow of her bones. She could see herself sinking into the welcoming void, floating without care, without problem, without confusion. A flame of light flickered in her mind, and Kel shuddered and clutched at her head. Kel knew this was not her Master. Kel shook her head to clear it from the grogginess that suddenly overtook her. Kel tried to speak, something foreign filling her body, glorious warmth and heat from some inner flame, that banished the darkness where it touched.

She cleared her voice, shaking now not with fear, but with anger that filled her body and soul to brimming. "I do not know you by face, but I know you by voice, Dark One. Remove yourself from this place immediately. You are not in strength. You have no vessel in which to leech life from. Begone, Master of LIES!" Kel shouted the last word with all her heart and strength. The Dark shadow's form melted from that of Kasumi, into a great swirling shadow. But that was all it was. A shadow, with no power over her. There was an ear-deafening shriek, and it was gone.

Kel was dumbstruck by her own actions. Part of her brain was amazed at this new knowledge. She did not know from whence the words came, they had simply flowed from her lips like flaming brands. The Shadow was gone, to Kel's immense relief. But she knew that all was not over. In its place stood a robed figure, clothed all in white, the hood of it casting not a shadow, but a sort of light-shadow, that kept Kel from looking closer to see who it was. Behind the robed person sat a Council of heavenly beings, who blazed in their glory.

In the middle of the half-circle sat a tall god, blazing with light, holding a spear in one hand, with a great suit of armor protecting him. He was flanked by two women, one with glittering green eyes and ruby-red lips, the picture of Tortallan beauty. The other was Yamani, tall and graceful in her maroon and white kimono with patterns that changed every time Kel looked. The Yamani goddess had long black hair, and her humble brown eyes seemed to look through you, but not with the blazing confidence of her sister two seats from her, but with the compassion and love of a mother. Other deities were seated, one of whom caught her eye.

He was rather short, with a mischievous grin on his face. His eyes twinkled, and as he turned his head to speak to another god, she saw that his close-cropped hair was grown out in the back, in a braid similar to her own. He wore a pair of loose pants in the Yamani style, a flamboyant red sash circling his waist. His chest was hairless, chiseled with muscles that rippled as he turned. Suddenly he let out a barking laugh, and suddenly his face warped, twisting his nose into that of a rabbit, growing floppy ears that hung down on both sides of his face. He twitched his nose at Kel, picked a carrot from the air, and nibbled on it, along with sipping a Tortallan cup of tea. Kel laughed out loud, startling herself. She dropped to her knees on the hard-packed dirt, pressing her face to the dust.

"No, Keladry." A voice spoke, reminding Kel of the baying of hunting hounds. She looked up to see the Goddess rising. She felt the cool hand touch her shoulder, cold through her shirt. Kel stood, hands locked behind her, willing her face to be as impassive as a wide, calm lake. Kel felt as if large whales had suddenly invaded her lake and were making for a party. Her stomach churned, and she kept her gaze fixed on her bare feet. A finger brought Kel to look up into the face of Yama.

"My daughter, you have gone through much. Look up now, as Mithros speaks." The voice was soft, gentle. Kel nodded her head, and Yama returned to her seat. Kel kept her eyes fixed on a spot on a far-away wall. Mithros's voice rumbled like thunder. "Keladry of Mindelan, of Tortall. You have come into our presence today, through no work of your own. This is the Final Testing Ground.

"You are the first in many years of mortal span to come here. The last was Kasumi. We tested, and she carried some of the Blood. But, we come to test you now, and all these things are in the past. A danger beyond reckoning approaches, far more dangerous than the Immortals' War of Tortall, and surpassing in power even the Battle at Argahz's Plain, so many millenia ago. But, once more, we are in the present, and pressing matters are at hand. You possess a large amount of the Blood. What is that, you ask?" Kel started. She was thinking that, but had said nothing. Then she cursed to herself. _Gods, they're the gods- they can hear my thoughts. Oh wait! Oh man…_

A ghost of a smile flitted across Mithros's face. But the stern impassiveness settled back over the stony features. "The Blood is the Gods' gift to those in Mankind who have no Gift. If the Gifted ones were to have their Gift taken from them, they would be weaker than those with the Blood. The Blood is now watered, spread over many generations and peoples. It is not as powerful as the world needs it to be. Now, we come to a young woman whose Blood is pure, as pure as the first Man, and the first Woman. That is you, Keladry. The Blood adapts and enchances certain skills, both mental and physical.

"But there is another reason your Blood is so strong. When the original Shang Phoenix Ascended to the Divine Realms, she left behind parts of herself to make the line of the Shang Phoenix strong. Each Phoenix since the First has had a concentrated amount of the Blood. But it is said that the Phoenix will be Reborn and save the world. Just before the Phoenix Ascended to a higher realm of existence, it was said that She would return to save the world and the Gods. Now it is time to test your Blood." The white-robed person stepped forward. Kel stepped back as a shiny katana was drawn from an unseen scabbard. The white steel was not painted, it was pure white, like the rest of the warrior.

Kel stared down at the cold metal blade that paused at the hollow of her neck, resting on her strange birthmark. The birthmark was a kind of half circle, having a curved line where the straight line should have been, had it been a half-circle. The cold tip spread its icy feeling into every part of her body, chilling her mind and senses so that she could only look down, immovable.

She knew that if the blade was thrust forward even half an inch, she would die. The sharp edge caught Kel's skin and pressed in lightly, letting a drop of blood well up. The sword was tilted back, and the blood slid down the length of the blade, eerily balanced, and leaving behind no red trail. The blood droplet neared the hilt, and was strangely enough, absorbed. The blood fused with the hilt, leaving no mark in its wake.

Kel sighed inwardly to herself. She was not harmed, or dead. Suddenly, the blade of the sword began to glow. It blazed with a light that dwarfed the glory of the gods' and it began to hum. It hummed as if it were whirling around in the air, wielded by a swordmaster. The white-robed person held on grimly to the sword, turning their head away. There was a blast of light and of sound, as if every sound of every creature and thing in the universe, from a mouse's scratching to the explosion of a supernova had been compressed and suddenly released. Kel was thrown back, hitting her head on a wall and nearly blacking out.

Faces swam before her eyes. The Goddess, holding her hand over Kel's face, examining for injury. Yama, placing something around her neck that burned her skin and froze it at the same time. And finally, Mithros came into her view. "Keladry. Daughter. You are the Phoenix Reborn." And all went dark.

Worlds swam before Kel's closed eyelids. A stable door, standing on its own, opening itself to a new world, frozen and icy beyond. A great ring of some material, strange runes carved into a smaller inner ring within it that lit up, and through which a strange bluish void was seen. A fiery mountain, with a great blazing eye staring down at the charred landscape below. A pair of people, one dressed all in black, one in humble Yamani-like robes, dueling with glowing swords on a bridge over a river of molten rock. A planet, suspended in space, green and blue forming a gentle contrast, with white clouds in the sky around it.

The worlds whizzed by. Kel found herself living the lives of people in those worlds, learning more, fighting, working with others. Kel underwent a huge number of experiences, taking on the role of both villain and hero, peasant and queen, human and alien. She lived fruitful lives, poverty-sticken lives, short lives, and long lives. She died painful deaths, deaths of disease, deaths of wounds in battle, deaths of old age. She had children, was a child, was a man, was a woman. She sped slowly through all these experiences, learning more as she died and rose up again.

The haze of life and death suddenly slowed and came to a halt. She was a bird, soaring over familiar lands she had visited in her travels. A ghostly voice said to her, " _Scanra, _" as she passed over icy mountains. She swooped down through the clouds and saw a small village. The houses were made of stone and of strange architecture. On a ridge directly behind the village was a cave that glowed with the warmth of a fire. Suddenly she was wrenched from the sky-scape of Scanra.

She soared over a green pasture. She topped a rise and gasped. There was Corus before her, sprawling across the ground like a welcome pet. She soared into the main bustle of the city, and into the Palace. Passing through walls and doors, she came to a place that she recognized as the catacombs. She wandered through endless tunnels and chambers of the dead before she came to her destination. A great stone door stood before her, bearing the mark of a blazing sun.

Once again she was torn from her surroundings. She soared over her own familiar land, the island where she was trained, the Order's stronghold. The _Morning Sage_ was anchored in the water. Kel flew to the familiar cliffs, entering and passing through yet another maze of corridors to a room that was dark. Some unseen hand wrenched open the shutters, and the light was blinding… the light… the light…

The light from a single torch flickered in her eyes. Kel winced as she sat up, expecting excruciating pain from what had happened to her. _What happened?_ Images swam in her memory. A blazing spear. A pair of warm brown eyes. A voice calling her name with the baying of hounds. A white sword. And an explosion. Everything came back to Kel in a rush. She sagged back against the wall, burdened by the memory of the gods' council, the sword, the visions…

Kel simply sat for a few moments, gathering her thoughts. She wanted to laugh, to scream, she wanted to give in to her hysterics. She controlled herself just barely enough to start a rational train of thought going. _What am I?_ She asked herself. _I am Keladry of Mindelan._ I am no Phoenix. She thought the title to herself, just to see what it would sound like. _Keladry of Mindelan, Phoenix Reborn._ It sounded silly, and that was just in her head. Kel muttered something along the lines of how much she disliked the gods at that moment, and how she wished she could think of something practical, and how she would scream if Kasumi popped out from behind a rock and shouted, "Sakuyo laughs!". Kel almost felt like crying then and there, but managed to pull herself together.

Kel's stomach growled, reminding her that she had no idea how long she was below ground, and how she might be in big trouble if she didn't get moving and find something to eat. She moaned softly as she forced her stiff legs to support her. She nearly fell once more to the floor as the chamber swam in front of her eyes.

Kel found her way to the opening in the wall, using one hand to grope her way to the entrance and clutching the ring around her neck with the other. She staggered into the chilly green-blue light of the tunnel and headed upwards. The trek seemed to take several hours, or maybe it was just ten minutes. The warm glow of the sun beckoned to her at the very end of the tunnel, and Kel rushed towards it, dropping all pretense of self-control. She hurled herself into the sunshine, and the warm grass, and the sounds of the birds in the trees and the insects of the field. Kel closed her eyes against the blinding light and laughed for sheer joy of being alive, and of being free.

Author's note-

Okay- here are the things I was talking about two chapters ago.

**The ring around Kel's neck**- the One Ring- Lord of the Rings

**The chain of quartered circles of various materials**- the Six Signs- the Dark is Rising series, by Susan Cooper

**The Golden Chalice- **The Holy Grail- Various Arthurian stories

In this chapter, can you recognize the places and occurences Kel went through as she was Seeing? There's a bit of a sci-fi show reference in there though. Ah well. Tell me, and kudos to the person who finds them all!

Anyhow, This is relatively long chapter, I hope you enjoyed it. I missed an episode of the Bachelor to write this, mind. I thoroughly enjoyed writing this, and I hope you like the story, please Read and Review!

-Lana S.


	12. The Naming

Chapter 12: The Naming 

Kel blinked up at the blue sky around her. White, fluffy clouds drifted before her eyes, and the bright sun warmed her chilled bones. Kasumi kneeled above her, a look of curiosity on her face that made Kel want to laugh. She dug her hands into the warm grass and felt something inching its way across her palm. She looked down to see a bright red and black spotted beetle traversing the wilderness of her hand, and she gently tilted her wrist so that eventually it crawled onto her palm. She brought the bug to her face and blew gently on its wings. "Fly free, Small One." Kasumi cleared her throat. Kel sat bolt upright and gratefully accepted the proffered hand.

"The Council is waiting. But I believe I know what you will be Named. Come, make haste." Kel gave a start. "How long was I down-" Kel shuddered. "How long was I down there?" Kasumi glanced up at the sun. "No more than ten minutes. Kel started to speak, "But I-" Kasumi stopped her, saying, "Yes, time passes differently in that World. But, as I said before, hasten." Kel steadied herself and brushed the bits of grass and dirt from her clothes and from her hair. She hurried to catch up to Kasumi, who was already halfway to the Council members.

Kel, huffing, came to stand before the assembled half-circle. She smiled wryly to herself; these mortals of the Order's Council weren't even half as frightening as the Council of the Gods. She bowed deeply, touching the ring on her neck for reassurance. She the cool metal was frigid, almost icy. She saw that she was holding another pendant. _What? When did this happen?_ Kel remembered the face of Yama bending over and placing something around her neck. The pendant was circular, engraved with the image of a flame. The pendant was silver, the flame gold. The chain was the purest platinum, from its looks. Kel nearly gasped, forgetting where she was, as she realized that she had a fortune hanging from her neck. The ring and its chain were underneath, on its humble leather strap, easily overshadowed by the value of the other ornament. Kel rubbed the gold ring, reassured by its familiar presence. _At least this hasn't changed._

"You have returned from the Testing Ground. After each testing, the student is presented by an object that sybolizes their new Name. For instance, if you found an owl feather, you would be the Shang Horned Owl. If you found a tiger claw, you would be the Shang Tiger. What is it that reveals your Name to us?" Kel reluctantly brought forth the pendant from underneath her shirt. The Boar looked forward and staggered back. The Shang Ox stood and supported the Master. The Shang Ox looked closely at the pendant, then shook his head, not trusting his own eyes. The Rat came over and laid a finger on it, only to be repelled by a blast of gold light, along with a momentary searing pain, evident as he reeled back clutching his hand.

"Do you know what this is?" Kel nodded, understanding, at least to a degree. "You shall be Named Shang Phoenix."

Kel wasn't overly surprised; she had suspected as much from her meeting with the Celestial Council. She still found it hard to believe when it came from the lips of another, however. She bowed low to the ground. "In all fairness, honorable Masters, I do not believe I deserve such an honor. I'm not ready to accept such an imposing title. I still have much I can learn," said Kel, meaning every word sincerely. The Boar's face softened. "Then that means you are ready. As long as you are willing to accept, or at the very least listen to, the advice of the Council, you will make a fitting Phoenix. What surprises me, however, is the value of your Sign."

"I beg your pardon, Master Boar, but I don't know what you mean…" Kel trailed off, nervousness beginning to eat at her as the events that occurred in the Testing Ground seemed to be distant, a far memory, or dream. The Boar smiled and replied, "You see, young Keladry, or should I say Master Phoenix, the past two Shang Phoenixes that emerged from the Ground with the flame-Sign around their necks, well… Their Signs were iron, on a leather thong. Much less value than yours." Kasumi nodded, pulling a cord out from under her shirt. "See this? It is my Sign, that I kept for all these years." Kel peered closely at it. It was, indeed made of iron. "I see," she replied. "I don't know how that can be important, though."

The Shang Boar nodded. "We will see. But now we must arrange a type of arrangement with you. You see, after one's Naming, it is typical that the person would journey where their feet would take them, until they join Yama, or return to live out their days in the Order. Kasumi can take your place here, and act as Phoenix in your stead, and when you have finished your Journeying, you must return. Your Journey starts whenever you wish; you may set out today, tomorrow, or next week. First you must outfit yourself in the garb of a true Shang Phoenix. We will leave you now with Master Kasumi, and you shall finish what has begun here."

The Council stood, and the Apprentices followed close behind as each blended into the woods in their own way. Kasumi and Kel were the last ones standing. Kel looked down pensively at the ground. Kasumi gently touched Kel's hand, and Kel looked up.

"I have a place to show you, a place known only by the long line of Phoenixes. The Council knows of its existence, but knows not where this place is. I will take you there; follow me."

Kel and Kasumi rode back to the Mountain on their horses, who were saddled nearby. The ride was longer than the first one; Kel had unconsciously set a slower pace, and Kasumi respected that and slowed also. It took about an hour and a half to reach the Order's Mountain. Kel saw, on her way back, a familiar ship bobbing in the waves, but took no joy in the knowledge of its presence, or the presence of its crew. Kel was almost in a gloomy mood. Her normally ramrod straight back was slightly hunched, like it was carrying a great burden. Her brows were furrowed, and she felt a headache begin to broil behind her temples.

"We have arrived," said Kasumi, as they reached the stables. Kel, for once, let the groom clean and feed Hoshi, and followed Kasumi in a daze. "We go to a secret place, and none shall hear us. Come, follow me." Kel shook herself out of her reverie and followed Kasumi into the depths of the Mountain.

Kasumi led Kel into the deeper parts of the Mountain, cautioning Kel to do exactly as she did, as the place was littered with booby traps. "This foils any person who may be following us. Several Gift-laden stones detect people's purpose in coming here. If the purpose is mistaken, such as a lost scholar or wandering servant, their minds cloud, and they immediately know the path to where they need to go, barring the Council chambers or this place of which I speak.

"If their intent is of evil, they are repelled using any force necessary."

Kel shuddered at the cold tone in Kasumi's voice. "Do not fear, young one. This place is sacred, for only the Daughters and Sons of the Phoenix to know. Now, place your foot on every other stone tile in this hallway. If you make a mistake, run for the end as fast as you can go. These mage-traps are incredibly nasty." Kel followed Kasumi exactly, fearing being impaled, poisoned, or worse.

The pair took winding stairwells, long hallways, doorways, and other passages that made Kel feel like she was trapped like a mouse in a maze. Suddenly, she mis-stepped and gave a start as the stone beneath her clicked. _Oh, how typical…_Kel thought as she dashed down the hallway behind Kasumi. "Hold your breath and grip the pendant!" shouted Kasumi as they barreled down the seemingly endless corridor. Kel gulped air, pinched her nose, and grabbed her pendant. Her fingers began to glow a rosy pink as the pendant lit up. Kel shuddered as it grew brighter and brighter, and a green gas seeped out of the walls and floor, obviously extremely toxic. Kel's eyes watered, but she continued running until she saw a dark opening. By now the green gas was impossible to see through, and Kel feared that her Master was poisoned, or… or worse. But Kel's feet suddenly churned almost of their own accord as hope filled her. She hit the ground and rolled underneath the closing stone door at the end of the tunnel.

"You were lucky. On my first journey here, I triggered a nest of heat-seeking darts. My Master was rubbing a sore posterior for several months afterwards." Kasumi's comments, combined with her straight face, made Kel want to laugh. The corners of her eyes wrinkled, and they both continued on after Kel had caught her breath.

They took a steep stairwell and another long corridor until they came to a rather nondescript door at the end of the passage. Kasumi laid her hand on the brass knob and turned. She pushed the door open. Kel was itching with impatience, wanting to see what was beyond the door. She had a feeling that she had been here before… The remembrance struck Kel as quickly as the blinding light from the room flooded her vision, blinding Kel. _Here we go again…_ thought Kel wryly, rubbing at her light-dazzled eyes.


	13. The Reliquary

Chapter 13: The Reliquary

Kel blinked, and at a nudge from her sensei, walked into the room. At first glance, it was a scholar's room. The room was simply furnished, containing a large wardrobe, a table strewn with parchments and scrolls, and a large shelf that stretched the length of one portion of the wall. The most spectacular thing, however, were the windows. The room was shaped like an upside-down pie tin, and almost a half of the room was walled in with glass. The glass was clear, unclouded, with no dividers. The glass simply melted into the ceiling and floor. The surface, when Kel tentatively touched it, was as cool as ice.

Another point of interest for Kel was the table, the shelf, and the wardrobe. The wood looked familiar. The color, the grain… Kel's mind finally connected the two fragmented thoughts. The wood was exactly the same as the case of the griffin-feather quill that Marcus had given her, all those long years ago. Kel shrugged off the feeling that came over her, leaving her confused thoughts about the ship's healer for another time. _Well, that's not that strange. Probably some exotic wood he had come upon on his travels._ Kel inspected the glass once more, than turned to Kasumi.

"What is this place?" Kasumi glanced at Kel, then stared out the window. "This is the centering place of the Phoenix. Ever since the first, this place has been the resting ground for the one who bore the Sign of Flame. Look. From this point, you can see the entirety of the Order's Training Ground." Kel walked over to where Kasumi was standing. It was true. The training grounds were visible to her, with the trainees and the trainers. She could even see flashes of light as the swords of the trainers caught the afternoon light. In the distance, a flock of birds erupted from the trees, flying in a tight group, then heading south. Kel stared out at the glittering water, closely examining the Morning Sage, which was bobbing gently on the waves.

"If you will accompany me, I will show you another part of the Refuge." Kel followed Kasumi to the back of the room, beside the wardrobe. "Look closely. What do you see?" Kel peered at the stone of the wall. Three shiny patches of a different black stone stood out on the dull gray of the natural rock of the mountain. Kel pointed. "I see three stones. Sensei, this doesn't make any sense! I need ans-" Kasumi interrupted, ignoring Kel's abrupt outburst. "Good. Press your palm against all three. Hold your pendant with your other hand. Like that." An unseen door slid open, like a Yamani screen-door, but made with rock. Kel stepped inside, feeling an intense urgency in her mind that she couldn't explain.

The adjoining room was relatively elegant, but at the same time plain. The room was square, with a large golden star in the middle of the floor. Kel went over to look at the golden star. It was really a compass rose, with rays that extended to the artist's full ability. The circle in the middle of the rose was simple, plain gold, while the compass points were shiny copper and silver. Kel bent over and picked at an edge. The gold and metal substance was certainly not paint. "This is the Seeing room, a place only where the Phoenix goes. The star has some magical properties, properties that only the strongest in the Blood can harness and use. I myself can count the number of times I have awakened these properties on one hand." Kel looked curiously at the star, then turned around and followed Kasumi to the main chamber and to the facing wall.

"Come, press this panel." Kel did so, and another door slid open. This room was simply furnished, holding a bed, a folding screen, a small door that obviously led to a wash-room, and drawers, presumably where she put her clothes. The bed looked simple, but when Kel sat down on it, it was soft and supported her body no matter how she shifted. She smiled and lay back for a few seconds, then eased herself up to a sitting position once more. The drawers were plain, made of the same wood from which the wardrobe, desk, and shelves were made in the other room. This room also was windowless, lighted by some sort of floating orb-lanterns.

"These are your quarters. Come here." Kel followed Kasumi to a spot behind the folding screen. "See this door?" she asked, pointing at the wall. Kel stared. There was no door. "Look closer." Kel, disbelieving, looked at the fine imperfections in the rock. A thin line was visible, only when seen from directly in front of the rock. "This is a shortcut to come up and down into your chambers. You must push down on these two handholds." Kel wedged her fingers into the natural-seeming cracks in the walls. She grunted as the door would not budge. She strained once more, putting her entire body weight into it. The door inched down, then slid fully into the floor. The opening revealed could barely be called a door. It was about four and a half feet tall, and three feet wide. Kel stepped through into darkness.

In the light cast from the other room Kel saw the dim outline of a torch. She grabbed one and fumbled with her flint and belt knife to light it. The torch sputtered to life after a few experimental sparks to reveal a curving stairway that disappeared into the depths of the mountain.

"This can be used if under attack. If you want to leave your quarters, this staircase will lead to a small inlet. A ship is there; we have it checked and supplied by secret means. Only a few know of it's existence, and only you and I know what it's used for. I know what you are thinking. The magic of this place shall completely wipe my memory of being Phoenix and of your existence, should anyone try and get information from me in any way. Come back into the bedroom."

Kel turned from her inspection of the stairs, walked forward, and smashed her face into the wall. She dropped to her knees, muttering curses in Scanran, Tortallan, Yamani, and Carthaki. Kasumi's placid smile was threatening to change into an amused one as her eyes widened from Kel's words. "Now now, watch your language. What would that boy, that Ship's Healer, think of you now?" Kel's muttering choked to a stop, and she glared at Kasumi from behind hands that were clutching her nose. Kasumi helped her up, just barely hiding a smile.

"There is one last thing I must show you. It is of most importance, and of great danger." For some reason unknown to Kel, her heart beat faster, and her feet were almost moving on their own. She seemed oddly detached, a figment of some greater imagination, a simple bystander. Her mind floated somewhere else; her body was filled with someone else. She walked out of the bedroom, Kasumi trailing behind. Her quick steps led her into the main study and in front of the wardrobe.

Kasumi darted in front of her, her lithe body blocking Kel rather effectively from the wardrobe. Kel distantly heard her master's urgent cry of, "No! Stop, Keladry! No one can touch this- all who have touched it have- argh!" Kel had nudged the older woman into the doors of the wardrobe. Kasumi's body arched, and the woman fell to the floor. Kel felt vaguely sorry for the woman, but there were more important things at stake.

Kel felt herself fill her own body, but she sensed that she wasn't alone. The thing-the person- the consciousness that _wasn't _her own was controlling her body. Her arms gently picked up her fallen teacher and quickly carried her into the other room and set her down on the bed. Her body quickly made it's way to the wardrobe once more.

A vague feeling of uneasiness at her current situation floated amongst her scattered thoughts, but she brushed it aside as her fingers moved, touching the wardrobe's door. A tingling feeling shot up her hands, raising goosebumps on her forearms. Two seals of metal kept the two doors shut. Both were made of some strange silvery-copper metal. Kel felt her fingers touch the first one, the one on top.

Fire filled her veins, burning and cleansing, melting and scarring. Kel felt her eyes burning, a strange glow surrounding her. She knew that she should be a pile of ash on the floor by now- she felt as if the hottest forge-fire was like a candle's flame to the heat and power running through her. The first seal of metal dripped onto her fingers, leaving no mark and falling to the floor. Small droplets hit the floor and solidified. She brushed the bottom seal with the fingers of her other hand.

She was frozen. The world was white, icy to the touch- icy to the point of death. She was filled with freezing water for blood. It froze and solidified, breaking her, hardening her, preserving her. Cold indifference flowed into her, making her feel no pain as her body lost all warmth- then suddenly the second seal fell to the floor, brittle, shattering into hundreds of pieces.

The two doors opened slightly. Kel's knuckles tightened, turning white as her hands gripped the handles. She felt surpressed excitement, fear, hope, and the most overwhelming feeling of all- triumph. She forced herself to open the doors slowly. Before her eyes as a suit of armor. She felt an instant sense of fond recognition from the other consciousness.

The armor was Yamani-styled. The tall kuwagata were the shiniest bronze, arching high above the helmet, the tip of each perforated by a boar's eye. The frontal tsuru bashiri was emblazoned with a single gold flame that matched the one on her pendant. It was constructed in the typical Yamani way, made of bamboo, cloth, and metal. Kel gently took hold of the sode and flexed it. It had retained its suppleness. She smiled, as did her other consciousness, as she took the armor down from its pedestal and slowly put it on, piece by piece.

The last piece to go on was the helmet. Kel touched the face mask. It was, unlike other helmet face masks, tooled in no specific shape. The bronze was smooth, with no grimacing or smiling mouths. There was a vague bump for the nose, and two slits for breathing, one at nose level and one at mouth level. A single slit at the chin let out sweat. She eased the helmet over her head, feeling the familiar yet strange leather padding.

She gently affixed the mask in its proper place, then looked at herself in the mirror that backed the wall of the wardrobe. She certainly did not look anything like herself. The armor fit her perfectly, not too heavy as to be unbearable, but not too light. Her hands were obscured by armor plates, as were her feet and shins. Above the knee, the only part of her leg that was seen not covered with armor was covered with her simple beige training breeches. The tunic-like armor protected her body and anonymity from ¾ way down the thigh to her neck, which was covered by her helmet and face mask.

Kel felt a shifting within her, and she felt herself again. She looked in the mirror and saw a stranger. The problem was that she didn't really have a problem with that. And for some reason, she was kind of familiar with the sight. Pensively she toyed with her pendant. She tried to imagine herself in Tortallan armor, knowing that all chances of becoming a knight were now lost to her. A sudden flash of blinding light interrupted her musings. She looked back at herself in the mirror, knowing that her expression must have been incredulous. But of course, she couldn't see her face through the Tortallan-style visor that obscured her vision.

She felt herself gaping like a fish. Hurriedly, she shut her mouth and raised a gauntleted hand to push the visor up. She was dressed in a full suit of plate armor. It was shining metal, a single flame of gold in the middle of her breastplate. She tried thinking of what she had done to change her armor. _Do I have the Gift? Nonsense!_ Kel tried thinking of herself back in Yamani armor again.

Nothing happened. She tried harder. _The pendant!_ She grasped the disk of metal and imagined herself in Yamani armor. There was the flash of light, and the strange feeling again wriggled across her skin. When Kel blinked her eyes free of purple light-spots, she found herself in the Yamani armor. _Can I do that with other armor?_ Kel mused.

She tried it. She flashed into a Scanran suit of armor, studded leather, furs, and all. Flowing and flexible robes were her image when she thought of the Copper Isles, and when she thought of Carthak, she was arrayed in pure white robes over sturdy armor, complete with turbaned helmet. She switched back to Yamani-armor mode, and quickly took off all the armor, questions swirling around in her head. Just as she was setting back the helmet, a particular query popped to the forefront of her mind. _Where is Master Kasumi?_ The helmet clattered to the floor as Kel froze, the memories of what had happened to her returning full-force.

"Oh Gods! What have I done now!" Kel moaned to herself as she dashed to her bedroom.


	14. Dreams?

CHAPTER 14

Kel left the wardrobe, running towards the bedroom. The helmet rolled lazily in slow circles, ignored. The door was open, and through it Kel saw her Master sitting up, rubbing her head and looking around, dizzied. Kel launched herself at the bed and fell to her knees beside the bed.

"Sensei! What have I done! Are you hurt? Oh Gods- I thought I killed you!" Kasumi gave Kel a watery smile. "No- I'm not dead. Calm yourself, child. I was just- mph-" Kasumi winced. "Never mind. It's okay- I have some bandages in my belt pouch. Could you get them for me? My arms don't seem to be full responding to my commands." Kel started towards her Master's belt pouch, then a foreign, strange, and familiar thought entered her head. "No- Lie on your stomach, Sensei. I can heal you."

Kasumi lay down with a grimace, which, from anyone else, would be a shouted cry of pain. She slowly turned over and pulled up the edge of her tunic. Kel was appalled at the damage. Blistered welts covered Kasumi's back, along with long stretches of bruised tissue. Her skin was icy cold to the touch. The thing that intrigued Kel in a strange way was the way that the welts spread out like the sun's rays from two small burns in the middle of Kasumi's back. Kel closed her eyes and breathed out slowly, calming herself. She touched her pendant, and a shock of warmth spread through her fingers, down her arm, through her body, and into her Master's back. The welts healed, and the only remaining marks were two circular scars, side by side.

"It is finished," Kel murmured. Kasumi sat up, rubbing her back. "That was- interesting. I thank you, Phoenix. I was trying to stop you. You see, anyone who has touched the seals have died. In fact, I thought I had died. I was on fire, and at the same time, icy cold. But I digress. My work is done here. If you have any need of me, I will be in your former quarters. I had a feeling you would pass the Test, you see. Every Phoenix knows when their time of succession comes near. I will take my leave and leave you. I will bring your things to this room. I thank you once more. I see that you are wearied. I will leave you to sleep, and tomorrow I will come at your bidding, if you have any questions. Come here. I will show you one thing I forgot earlier." Kasumi led Kel to the desk in the main room, casting only a curious glance at the armor in the wardrobe and the helmet on the floor. Kel quickly scooped it up and placed it in the wardrobe, then shut the doors.

Kasumi showed her a panel on the desk, made of polished wood that was darker than the rest of the table. It was outlined with a faint line of inlaid gold leaf. Kel peered at the line. If she squinted just right, she could just barely see the shimmering of spell-words. Kasumi began, "If you place a message on this panel, it will immediately send it wherever you wish. You must say exactly the room though. For instance, saying 'the library' will send it only to the main librarian's desk. If you wish to send it to Master Uriah, you must say, 'The Office of Master Uriah.' This can be established as a two-way line, if you say so, but if you do not specify for the line to stay open, by default the line is one-way. I'm afraid that there isn't any swift way to get from here to the ground, but you can go through the booby-trapped corridors now, since the Refuge has recognized you as the Phoenix. The traps won't react to you any longer, as long as you have your pendant. No one else, except myself as well as you may come up here without guidance.

"Now, most questions that you have can be answered if you will read the book that lies in the drawer in your room. That is all I can say. Now, I will leave you. I will bring you the official paperwork for you to sign and seal tomorrow. Also, you are expected to fill out a monthly report of the conditions here for the Emperor himself. I will take my leave, and I shall see you tomorrow. I thank you once more, Phoenix." Kasumi bowed deeply to Kel, picked up a leather bag in the corner, than left her in the room.

Kel sighed. More paperwork. She was diverted by a single, random thought that popped into her head. She felt herself walk to the other room, the compass rose room. She entered, and she felt something different from when she had gone in before. The room was warmer, more welcoming. The metals on the floor even seemed to _thrum_, rather like a cat's purr. Kel's bare feet made no sound as she padded to the center of the room. She knew without question what to do, but had no idea of what would happen. She knelt down directly in the gold circle that was the middle of the star. And all went dark, utterly and totally dark.

The darkness was warm, however. It welcomed her, filled her, and strengthened her. All that Kel knew was that she wasn't in the physical world, and she was safe. Suddenly the darkness before her glowed as a line of white fire appeared, drawn out and widening on its own. Soon a rectangular door of white fire stood before her. A figure was silhouetted in it, and even though Kel felt safe, some remote part of her consciousness was wary. She squinted at the figure. It was female, rather short, but looking well built. She was wearing a simple white tunic with long sleeves and white breeches, in black riding boots and a flowing cloak and hood, which was also white. A black belt encircled her waist, embroidered with a golden, flowing flame circle that had no discernable beginning or end. Kel looked down at herself to see what she was wearing. Kel was wearing a black leather tunic over a white shirt with billowing sleeves. In the center of the tunic was what seemed like the ever present golden flame. Her breeches were soft light brown leather, and her boots were dark brown. A broad brown leather belt was buckled around her waist, and from it hung Gryphon. Kel looked back up at the figure, who was coming her way.

The woman had a kind, open face, framed with two locks of blond hair, the rest of her hair bound back in a horsetail. She was at least a head shorter than Kel, yet she was lithe and appeared muscular. She was graceful in her movements, and Kel felt that this woman would look like she was dancing even when mucking out stables. She had a commanding look, but what attracted Kel's gaze were the woman's eyes. Her eyes looked familiar. How could they not? They were hazel-green, exactly like Kel's own.

The woman was near Kel now, and smiling broadly. "Hello. Nice to meet you in person, Keladry of Mindelan." She seated herself cross-legged before Keladry and a small ball of flame floated from her palm to hover in place between them. She motioned at the ground. "Sit, sit. We have much to discuss, and little time." Kel sat down, dazed. She felt that she was getting thoroughly tired with the feeling, having felt it much too often, and all in one day. "So, Keladry of Mindelan, recently passed of the Naming and raised to the prestigious title of Shang Phoenix. The strongest Phoenix for hundreds of years. Greatest possessor of the Blood. A prodigy in learning as well as fighting styles." The woman raised a finger for each fact. "Who are you?" asked Kel. "Not to be rude, but since you seem to know so much about the Order's _confidential_ workings, as well as me, I'd like to even out the odds a little." The woman smiled broadly. "Well, I've had quite a few names over the years. Briennin, Firewing, things along that line. But I think the name you may recognize me from is The Shang Phoenix." Kel was dumbfounded. Another feeling to be added to the 'Emotions that are getting reeeeaaally old today' list.

"Are you telling me that you are the Shang Phoenix? Were? Well, the first?" The woman winked. "Mmhmm. But you can call me Brie. Now I can tell you're confused. Allow me to explain. Do you know where we are?" Kel shook her head. "Well, we're in the Void. Now, this is no ordinary Void. This is the void between the mortal world and the Realms of the Gods, as well as the Realms of the Dead. This is where I reside. Rather dull, isn't it? But I can change the scenery of this place to suit my needs. For now, though, let's not mess with the Void. Since I didn't really die on the mortal plains, I didn't fully cross over into Death. Don't ask me how, it must have been the work of the gods. Anyway, I have some important things to relate to you. Have you opened the wardrobe?" Kel nodded. "I found this strange suit of armor-" Brie interrupted. "Okay, it's intact. I sealed it with the strongest elemental seals that I could find- Fire and Ice. You want explanations? Alright. The armor was a gift from several Gifted friends of mine, tuned especially for me. Why, you ask, were you able to put it on? Well, This leads to another important point." Kel was stunned by this onrushing information.

"Keladry- I'm you, and well, you're me. I have been reborn- and you are my vessel." Kel jerked back, almost falling but catching herself. Stumbling to her feet, she stepped back from the woman. "What! Are you insane? For that matter, am I insane? I'm dead, right? Or- or- I've been poisoned and I'm delirious. This is impossible. This can't happen. Wait- why should I believe you? Why am I here? Why is this happening to _me_?" Kel fought back hysteria as the day's stress and exertion overwhelmed her. Brie sat calmly, an unreadable expression in her eyes. "Now, Keladry, sit back. Calm down, girl! You're here because you have been chosen. If you will just _sit down_, I'll explain." Kel took a deep breath of air and let it out. She lowered herself once more into a sitting position.

"When I was alive, I had many powerful allies. For one, I had the privilege of having the most powerful mage in the world as an ally and a teacher. Her name was Ellynara Nimae Avallone. She helped construct my suit of armor. I believe you have a friend like that in the mortal world, Numair Salmalin. Another ally I had was the Emperor. There were two others, two others very dear to me, my closest friends. Emiliane of House Eldoran and Akiyo Hadachi were my best friends. We faced Ahlan and his cronies in the Battle of Arghaz. It is absolutely necessary that you ally yourself with those who can help you most. Without solid relationships, I'm afraid that the Last Battle may be lost. And if the Last Battle is lost, then I fear for the world, and all the peoples of the world. For I know, and I have seen the possible futures that await Tortall and its surrounding lands. I have seen a world bathed in blood, the only living creatures twisted descendants of immortals and humans, fighting each other like animals. I have seen the world split and shake, then be consumed by fire and earth. I have seen the Dark One ruling supreme as Emperor, making each person slave and cater to his every whim. Keladry. The responsibility about to be placed on your shoulders is a great one. If you choose to leave this place with no intention of help, you will become like the others. You will be a Shang Phoenix. Your life will be uneventful, and finally the Dark One will return, and he will obliterate you. And with your final breath you will curse the day that you turned your face from the world." Brie's eyes were chips of ice. Her voice was ragged with emotion.

"But, if you choose this dark path before you, you risk illness, you risk crippling injury. But most of all, you risk your life and the lives of your friends. Yet know this. If you accept this responsibility, you have the power to change the world, daughter. You will save your friends, you will save your lands. Think of the oath you swore. The oath I wrote. What is it you strive for?" Brie didn't give Kel time to answer. "Protect your country, Keladry. Protect your comrades, protect your allies. I have no power over you, daughter. I cannot force you to do what you do not wish. I will not beg, but I ask this: shall the work and dedication of all those who have come before go to waste?" Kel stared ahead blankly, a perfect bland face on display.

_Before Kel's eyes flashed terrifying images. She saw the earth crack underneath Corus. She saw the terrified faces of the people on the streets, she saw the children scream as magma surged up from the crack in the earth and engulfed people and houses alike. She could smell the burning wood and flesh, and she saw buildings aflame. She looked towards the palace. The mages lined up on the walls, trying and failing to restrain the flaming rock. She entered the palace, seeing people she loved most being consumed by the flames and smoke. Neal clutched a lithe figure to his chest, protecting the one in his arms from the oncoming reach of death. His eyes were panicked, his hands glowing green as the molten rock hesitated, then flowed once more towards him. Flames and smoke obscured Kel's horrified vision. In the throne room the guards had turned on the king and his queen, panicked and afraid. Thayet staggered, bloodied and grimy as she used a bow and quiver of arrows to hold back the maddened crowd as Jonathan wielded the Dominion Jewel. Tendrils of white fire emanated from Jonathan's hands, flowing towards the magma and into the ground. Suddenly they recoiled and snapped from their connection to the Jewel, flowing from Jonathan's hands and into the magma, making it glow as it surged forwards and engulfed the dais, seemingly having a mind of its own. The high thrones melted, and there was not a single scream as the guards and royalty alike were devoured by flames and melted rock. Kel wrenched her eyes away. _

_Unrestrained by space, she passed through the ravaged and collapsing palace, seeing more of her friends die in the flames and feeling despair that she could do nothing. On the walls Numair Salmalin stood alone. The black fire of his magic reached down into the magma, but like the power of the Dominion Jewel, was sapped. Numair staggered, and a brown eagle screeched and landed beside him. Daine transformed before Kel's eyes. She held Numair up and supported him. He whispered something to her, and she shook her head. From above an arrow sped through the air and buried itself in Numair's chest. He fell back as Daine cried out. Daine supported Numair's head as he whispered something to her. Daine smiled through her tears and kissed him softly, tenderly, one last time as the smoke drifted up and flames licked at the wall around them. Daine flew into the air as an eagle. Above the carnage soared a huge figure. A man sat on the back of a huge black dragon, emotionless with a black bow of magic and a quiver of arrows at his side. Daine saw the figure, and recognizing the style of the fletching, transformed one last time. The eagle form was shed, and suddenly a golden dragon was in its place. Kel stared. Daine could change no longer, now that she had taken immortal form. The golden dragon flew at the black, fire streaming from its talons. The black dragon didn't flinch as the flames were somehow deflected and streamed to either side of its flanks, singing not a single scale. The Daine-dragon clawed at the face of the black dragon, leaving no mark as sparks flew. She savagely took the other by the throat, but before she could do any harm, the black dragon clawed at her underbelly, and the rider let some sort of fire flash from his hands. _

_Daine fell, dead, crashing to the ground amongst the ruins of the wall on which her lover had last made his stand. The flames enveloped the body, uniting lovers one last time. Kel wrenched her eyes away from the terrible sight and stared up at the rider on the black dragon. Two eyes of flame met her own. Two eyes of flame in a face familiar to her; a face familiar yet not so, a face vague and swirling in the recesses of her memory. Whatever the face, whatever the shape, size, color- Kel could tell. Before her eyes rode the Dark One. She fell into empty blackness, surrounded on all sides by unseen flames. Her skin burned, her hair disappeared, pain filled her and tears of flame licked down her cheeks as she mourned for those she had lost. She closed her eyes in total darkness._

Kel opened her eyes and found that she had tears streaming down her face. She scrubbed at her tears, wiping them off so she could see clearly. Brie was looking at her sympathetically. "You have seen a future." It wasn't a question. Kel nodded. "I have decided. If you say I can do it, then I'm willing to try." Brie nodded. "Then let us begin."

AN: Okay, I admit- this was done the day after I posted 13. What can I say? I'm a tad laz- er, busy...


	15. Possession

Chapter 15: Possession

Kel knelt down opposite Brie. The older woman stretched out her hands out, palms flat, facing upwards. Kel hesitated, then put her hands onto Brie's. A jolt, like electricity, filled her body and filled her with searing, melting heat. Then suddenly it was gone. Kel opened her eyes to see that she was alone in the Void. "Master Phoenix? Brie? Where are you?" She felt amusement trickle through her. Amusement that certainly wasn't her own. _I'm right here, Keladry._ Kel stood stock-still. "You're inside me. Right… Well. I just have a few things that need clarification." _Yes?_ "Well, I can hear you, and no one else can?"

_Yes._

" Would there happen to be an easier, more subtle way to do this?"

_Well, all you have to do is form the thoughts in your head and direct them towards me. Like talking to yourself in your head. _

Kel's mouth twisted wryly. "That phrase is beginning to take on oceans of meaning. Okay, let me try this out."

**_Hello? Brie?_ **

_Yes?_

**_It works!_ **

_Of course. Now, it's high time we return to the Mortal Realms. In the Mortal Realms, our connection will still be there, but not as crystal-clear as here in the Void. It may be foggy at times. I'll be in constant contact as long as you have your pendant on. Take it off, and I'll still be there, but it'll be a huge strain to communicate. In times of stress, with your consent, I'll be able to semi- or even totally possess your body. But don't worry. In times like that, we'll just switch places. But that's enough. Lie back and close your eyes. When I say so, open your eyes. _

Kel did as she was told. There was a sudden wrenching of time and feeling, and Kel felt as if she were being hung, drawn and quartered. Colors swirled madly behind her closed lids, and just before she felt she would die, she felt the pain leave as suddenly as it came. _Wake up, Keladry. We're here._ Kel gasped for breath, wincing as she moved cramped muscles. She was kneeling on the cold metal disk that made up the center of the compass rose in what she called The Star Room. Glancing down at her hands, she saw cuts where her fingernails had cut into her palms. She grimaced, and slowly flexed her fingers, arms, toes, and legs. When she felt relatively normal, she got up and staggered out of the room. She made her way shakily past the desk, the opened armor cabinet, and into the next room, her bedroom. With muscles aching and bruises throbbing, Kel shed her sweaty clothing, rinsed her face, and fell into her bed. She was asleep before she hit the pillow.

Kel gave a start as a consciousness prodded at her own. _Keladry? Time to wake up._ Kel grumbled, turned over in bed, and shoved her head under a pillow. _You do know that that's not going to work, right?_ Asked the other consciousness bemusedly. "All right, all right, I'm up already," muttered Kel sullenly. She had had a delicious sleep, a sleep without dreams. Kel blinked up at the sunlight streaming down on her. Wait- sunlight? Down? There weren't any windows in this room. Kel looked up into the huge skylight that made up part of her ceiling. **_Whoa…_** unconsciously she slipped into mind-talk. _Very 'whoa' isn't it? The glass is some sort of natural formation. This is one reason I decided to build my Refuge here. Don't worry, from the outside, the glass is like slate. No one sees in, no one's the wiser. Come on! Get up, I'm hungry, which means you are too! _

Kel reluctantly got out of bed and shuffled into the washroom, which she didn't really have much time to inspect the day before. The washroom was incredibly spacious. A privy was in a room separate from the main wash-room. A sink consisted of a plainly carved trough-like shelf in the wall that provided constant water supply. A large tub was made out of a seven-foot in diameter shallow hole, where two small knobs were seen. _Another advantage to having Gifted and clever friends was that they figured out a way to have a natural pipe system for convenience. Twist the red knob for hot-spring water, and the blue knob for cleaned mountain spring water. If you step to that tiled spot over there and pull the rope, you get a steady stream of water coming from that fountain. I call it a shower. Get wet, soap, wash your hair, then rinse off. So much faster than waiting for the tub to fill. Hurry up, then!_

Kel smiled wryly as she disrobed and started the shower water running. **_Well, you're certainly peppy this morning…_ **_Well, you would certainly be awake if you haven't been in contact with anyone for thousands of years!_ Kel shook her head and plunged herself into the freezing cold shower water. It felt as if she had been plunged into a waterfall."AAAGGHH!" she cried aloud. The water was colder than she thought. She distinctly felt Brie's amusement. _Come on, the faster you shower, the faster you're out!_ Kel quickly soaped and cleaned her hair, then rinsed and turned off the "shower". She toweled herself off and went to see where her belongings were. She pulled out a pair of plain brown linen Tortallan breeches with a white shirt over it. Over her head went the black tunic emblazoned with an gold flame. A sturdy leather belt completed the ensemble, from which hung Kel's Tortallan sword and a long dagger. She thrust a knife into the hidden sheath in her boot, and with purpose, Kel set off to the Star Room. According to Brie's unspoken instructions, she stood in the center of the star and visualized her former room, now Kasumi's room. She thought, in great clarity, of the sleeping mat on the floor, the small desk, the incense burner, and the shelves on the wall. She felt her insides twist, and she opened her eyes to see that she was in Kasumi's room. There was no one there. It was understandable, since it was far past the hour of Kasumi's waking and training. From Kasumi's room, she strode down the hall and hesitated in the scant shadows cast at the cave tunnel opening.

_**Should I really go out like this? You know, dressed up as the Phoenix?**_

_Child, you are the Phoenix. This organization has had enough sneaking around of the Phoenix, it's good for the people to recognize you as leader. They trust you more._

_**Well, wouldn't they trust me even more if they knew me before I slipped into Phoenix title?**_

_Think of it this way. Most of the students and teachers have taken notice of you, I can tell from what I dredged up in your memory while you were asleep. Holding few, or even no ties that bind one to another is an honorable trait. It allows you to do your duty and be unbiased. Yes, it sounds cold, but the job of the Phoenix is never easy._

Kel mulled this over for a few seconds, then swung herself over the edge and carefully descended, shoving the rather worn toes of her boots into the cracks in the rock wall. She jumped and fell the last few feet, brushing the dust off her tunic and straightening her shirt. She made her way to the training grounds, walking in the center of the path but still keeping a watchful eye over her surroundings. Quietly, she leaned on the rail where several students were training in Tortallan swordplay with their masters. Kel's eye was drawn to a cocky Scanran, whose blond hair gleamed as he laughed at his fallen enemy and helped the other young man up. She listened in on their conversation.

"Really, Fredrik, you ought to be a master, I don't see why you're still under Hirashima Sensei."

"I know, I've trounced everyone in the training grounds, students and teachers alike. I bet you, whenever the _Phoenix_," he said with a derisive snort, "decides to show his sorry face around here, I could beat him too. I can't believe that we're led by masters who have nothing better to do than hide in this mountain. Ever feel that your master is holding you back, keeping you shut up so that you won't become too powerful? Well, I've been on a few missions, and its just housekeeping. A little guard work here, some bandit killing there. Nothing exciting. Me, I would fight. I have warrior blood coursing in my veins, and I want to see some real action before I'm dead. With our leaders cowering behind rock walls, I've half a mind to go do some freelancing mercenary work. I'd get paid well. And I'd see some action." They turned to leave. Kel quickly stripped off her tunic, folded it up, and placed it under a bush so that no one would take it. She hopped over the fence and called out to the Scanran,

"You! Fredrik, your name was? I've heard some complimentary things from your master about you, and I'd like to see you in action. Of course, if you're too busy, I could ask your friend there." Fredrik turned and looked at Kel. "A girl? Pfft. I knew these Yamanis were soft, putting girls into their ranks. I haven't seen a female teacher on these training grounds. Too harsh for them, I suppose. Well, you want a duel? I don't think so. I've got better things to do than meddle with some Tortallan trollop. If you're looking for a tumble, go talk to Yavin. He's got gold worth your while. Now leave me so that I can do some real work." He turned away. Kel's mouth twitched, the only outward side of emotion. She decided a different tactic. She walked up behind him and gripped his shoulder firmly. She didn't grip hard, but in a way that he couldn't free himself. She twisted him around and gently slapped his face with a glove that she had pulled out from being thrust under her belt. "You show insubordination, and will be punished. Ready your blade. You, Fredrik's friend, go get lead to blunt our blades." The other young man, looking extremely white-faced, wheeled and rummaged around in a trunk in the corner of the fenced-off ring. Fredrik's face was turning crimson with rage.

"Who are you, wench? I've not seen you around before. I don't think you've heard of me. I am Fredrik Jormundsson, and I am the greatest duelist here at the training grounds." Kel gritted her teeth, struggled to calm herself, and replied in a calm voice, "Oh, I've heard quite enough. Now. Let us get ready for the duel." A rumbling voice interrupted any further remarks Kel would have made. "What is going on here?" asked a low voice. Kel calmly looked at the speaker. "Ah, Master Ox. A simple training exercise. I have taken offense at Fredrik's rash words, and a lesson is in order. There is nothing more to know. In fact, I think you, as an unbiased witness, may be the judge of this duel. The rules are for you to set." Kel caught a twinkle in the man's eye as he recognized her. "Ah, of course. The names of both combatants? No titles, please." Kel swung her blade experimentally. "Keladry of Mindelan," she said clearly. Fredrik tossed his head defiantly, not bothering to warm up. "Fredrik Jormundsson." The Shang Ox scratched his chin. "All right. The rules are as follows. First one on the ground and at the absolute mercy of their opponent loses. There shall be two duels, and if necessary, a third as tiebreaker," The Shang Ox motioned a bystander over. The man was tall and gaunt, wearing simple brown monk robes. The man motioned, and a maroon glow of his Gift settled over the fence posts. The Ox continued, "Weapons have been blunted, and Master Fujisaka has made sure that fatal wounds are avoided in this duel. Of course, broken bones shall be tended to after the two duels. If a combatant is caught cheating, he or she will be immediately disqualified and dishonored. Duelists, to the ring."

Kel swung her sword experimentally one more time. She strode around the edge of the ring so that she could stand opposite Fredrik. He had removed his shirt, and she looked at the six-pack displayed scornfully. She had skewered men stronger than he was when they were ambushed; his display was a waste of time; she wasn't intimidated. In fact, Kel possessed a rather fearsome set of abdomenal muscles herself. She slipped back into the present as her and Fredrik's crossed swords were knocked up into the air. They circled each other, searching for an opening. Fredrik started shouting insults about her so that all the spectators could hear. Vicious things about her name, her honor, and her family were spat into her face, but she let them all slide off like water off a stone. Kel waited. Fredrik was cocky, he would attack first, and she would test his strengths and weaknesses. Kel was right.

Fredrik roared and charged, swinging his blade in a feint towards her ribs, then suddenly changing direction and aiming for her shoulder. Kel, watching his torso, blocked his strike easily. One of the handy things she had learned in her travels and training was how to use her enemy's strength to her own advantage. But she refrained from delivering the final blow, and simply pushed his blade away with little effort. He attacked once more, swinging at her neck. Kel skilfully ducked and delivered a painful blow to his ribs. The first duel went on and on, Fredrik attacking and Kel parrying or ducking. His back, shoulders, and sides were covered with painful red welts and bruises from Kel's blunted blade, but still he persisted. He roared and charged doggedly at her, and once more Kel slipped away. Kel was starting to feel tired, and occasionally she became careless and gave him an opening, letting him bruise her. She finally decided to take pity on him and, with a flicker of movement, disarmed him and laid her cold steel blade on his collarbone. He winced and raised his hands. "I yield," he muttered sullenly. Kel nodded and looked to the Shang Ox. He raised his hand. "The winner! Keladry of Mindelan! The two combatants may retire for ten minutes." Kel leaned on a fence rail and gratefully sipped from a water skin that someone handed her. A voice at her elbow almost made her jump.

"Greetings, Keladry." Kel looked down to see Kasumi looking up at her. "If I may ask a question?" Kel nodded wearily. "Why are you dueling this one? I have talked with his master. He is too willful for his own good. He's one of the best, but he's still very willful. He's very disobedient; the masters think that soon he may leave for some mercenary work and die in the field or in some distant tavern. Why do you waste your time?" Kel shook her head wearily. "The Order needs all the warriors we can get. I'm going to beat some sense into him and have him switched to your care. I don't think you've replaced me quite yet, have you?" Kasumi's eyes twinkled. "No, not quite yet. Now, drink and I'll be watching." Kasumi slipped off, and before Kel knew it, she was being called back for the second duel.

Fredrik looked healthy. His welts and bruises looked almost healed and he was looking incredibly refreshed. She looked suspiciously beyond him, and saw one of his cronies stuffing a jar back into a bag. **_Bruise balm_**, she thought wryly. _Definitely_, came the reply. _Come on, let's settle this brat and get some food!_ Kel smiled and raised her sword. The blades were knocked apart, and Kel noticed that Fredrik was hesitating. Kel made it clear that she wasn't going to attack first, and after circling each other for a another few minutes, Fredrik charged. Kel didn't hold back this time. She slashed at his ribs, and as he staggered and gasped, she slipped past his weakening guard and hit his wrist hard enough to break it and send his sword flying. He cried out and fell down to the ground, his face white with pain.

He braced himself and staggered to his feet, his good hand cradling his injured wrist against his chest. "Winner, Keladry of Mindelan!" cried the Ox. Fredrik's call interrupted Kel as she reached under the bush to collect her tunic. "Who are you?" he shouted in a hoarse voice. "Surely you are the best of us all." His voice was trembling, for all he tried to hide it. Kel didn't reply, only smoothed out her tunic, re-buckled her belt around it, and stood for a few moments, her back to him. The crowd that had gathered around them stood silently. No one could see the symbol on the front of her tunic. She turned around so that all could see the emblem on her tunic front. In a quiet voice that carried across the silent field, she replied, "I am Keladry of Mindelan, the Shang Phoenix."

A/N- Hi! Sorry about the long wait, I've been overseas and I haven't had a chance to get to a computer where I was. Um, as you may have noticed, in the beginning of the chapter, Brie "possesses" Kel. Just for clarification, Brie is the one speaking in _italics_, and Keladry in _**bold italics**_. Okay, the chapter was a bit cheesy, I do admit, but, hey-

Happy reading,

L.S.


	16. Planning

Chapter 16: Planning

"I am Keladry of Mindelan, the Shang Phoenix." Kel's words hit the group of standing witnesses like a hammer. The silence was deafening. The only sound was the gentle wheezing of Fredrik, who was bone-white with pain, but refused to let his features show it. Kel thought that he would make a good Shang, after a little discipline and training. "Fredrik. You have dishonored your family name through your rash words and actions. I take into account your naiveté and I pardon you of any offense I may have taken. But that still doesn't excuse your actions. From now on, you will work under the tutelage of Master Kasumi. Go get your wrist splinted and your ribs wrapped. That will be all. You are dismissed." Kel started to turn. A voice stopped her. "You are not the Shang Phoenix!"

Kel swiveled back to see a middle-aged man forcing his way through the crowd. He reached her and grabbed her wrist. "I refuse to be ordered about by some- some young whelp, unschooled in matters of political importance and diplomacy!" Kel calmly wrenched her wrist free. "Unhand me, if you please. If you have any complaints, I am happy to hold a private audience with you. I have matters of importance to attend to. Good day, sir." Kel turned to walk away. She heard the sound of the man's hand whistling toward her face, as well as the audience's gasp at the brazen insubordination of the man. As if in slow motion, she ducked the man's swinging palm and lashed her hand out, feeling it connect with flesh.

The man staggered and fell to his knees, gasping and clutching his stomach. Kel turned her icy gaze upon his cronies. "I am willing to conduct business in a civilized manner, but if you wish to strike me from behind, remember the Shang code, and remember your honor. I trust that this will not happen again." There were nods all around, and the injured and dishonored man staggered away into the crowd.

Kel bowed to the crowd, and they bowed in reply, eventually dispersing to return to normal tasks. But Kel could feel their gazes on her, staring at her and evaluating her. She shrugged it all off and continued to walk around the training grounds, watching the students as well as the teachers. Occasionally she would take a student and silently change their grip or their stance. When her stomach grumbled loudly enough to make the youngest trainees giggle, she quickly excused herself and went to get some food.

In the dining hall, a young apprentice wearing the white robes of a Gifted student approached Kel. The young man, who Kel suspected of being in his early teens, bowed, and thrust a rolled-up parchment at Kel. She bowed back, gave him a copper for his service, then turned to the line for food. While she waited for her turn, she broke the seal and opened the parchment. The seal was unmarked, a simple blob of red wax. It began,

_Shang Phoenix:_

_The Most Honorable Emperor Nokoru Imonoyama requests your presence at His royal chambers in a fortnight. You will be provided excellent lodgings of the highest degree, for yourself and your entourage. His Majesty has recently come into the knowledge that you have publicly announced your station, and deems you ready to formally accept all titles and responsibilities associated with the rank of Shang Phoenix. You are also invited to accompany the Emperor and His retinue on a diplomatic journey. Your arrival is most anticipated. _

_His Royal Majesty,_

_Prince Suoh Suzuki_

Kel stared at the parchment, leaving her place in line to sit at a nearby table. _**The Emperor? A fortnight? Brie, what do you think about this? **Well, it is a good opportunity to establish yourself in court- you do need the alliances there. Kasumi can run the Order in your absence, she's experienced and is a firm believer in our ways. She will not turn easily. Also, you saw that 'your arrival is most anticipated'- you know what that means. **Yes, they expect me there whether I wish to go or not… Wait- entourage! What do they mean by that? It's not like I have a harem, or can bring the whole Council with me. **My advice is to bring one or two people. Anyhow, to travel in small numbers is be virtually invisible as a threat. You have many enemies now, Keladry. **But I just announced that I was the Phoenix! Who could know? **Well, how does the Emperor know? He certainly has a spy in this Order. Not to mention the fact that the Association of the Dragon has a spy here too. I can sense the taint, just not pinpoint it. **The Association of the Dragon! **What- did you forget about our biggest threat of all? Honestly, Keladry- **All right, all right. First I'll get some food, then think and talk this over with Master Kasumi. **Good idea!_

Kel sighed contentedly as she headed for her clifftop with a bowl of ramen and a pair of chopsticks. As she neared her accustomed place, however, she saw to her dismay that Fredrik and Master Kasumi, eating in silence occupied her eating-place. Kel turned back, disappointed, and started to walk back to her private quarters. "Wait, Keladry, come back here." Kel turned her head back at Kasumi's voice. Quickly she wheeled around and walked back, trying to look at-attention with her bowl of ramen and chopsticks. "Sit, sit," said Kasumi as she motioned towards the ground beside her. Kel obeyed, hanging her legs off of the edge of the cliff. For several minutes she, Kasumi, and Fredrik ate quietly. Then, Fredrik spoke up. "Master Phoenix, I didn't mean to insult you. I- I was wrong. I shouldn't have been so cocky and overzealous. I apologize most sincerely for anything that I have said to offend you." Kel nodded absently. "All is forgiven… But-" Kel paused, mulling over a thought that had suddenly occurred to her. "Yes, Master Phoenix?" asked Fredrik. Kel was silent for a few more moments, then a distant smile settled on her lips as she said, "I'm planning on taking a trip. A very long trip. Would you care to accompany me, Fredrik? If your Master would allow it?" Fredrik's eyes lit up. He turned to Master Kasumi and began, "Honorable Master Kasumi, would you allow-" Kasumi waved him off. "Don't you 'honorable master' me, you young whelp. You can go." Fredrik grinned at Kasumi, and Kel smiled. Brie suddenly interrupted, _Well, I suppose we better go pack, then. But first- let's eat!_

Kasumi stared at Kel. "The Emperor? I will do what you wish here, go to the Palace. Imperial forces are forces to be reckoned with. I can provide you with anything you need." Kel nodded absently. "Thank you. There is one thing I do need. I haven't had the chance to do that much work yet. The money I have from my parents and the work I've done in the past will get the two of us along, but when I arrive at the palace, I'll need gifts- what I'm really saying is that I need a loan." Kel rubbed her forehead, pensive. Kasumi grinned. "A loan? Honestly, Keladry- just because we are the most secret agency in the Islands doesn't mean that we are beggars. Our allies and other connections pay us for our services, and we've got plenty from offerings and tribute from Yamani lords and ladies for the employment of our agents. Graduates of the Order who come into high standing also give generously. And as you are the Phoenix, you are free to take what you need. In fact, you have a vault of your own. Every Phoenix in history has contributed treasures from his or her lifetime. Follow me, and let us get what you need."

Kel was led to the entrance of a tunnel. She started down the tunnel. The walls were covered in markings. Kel, looking closer, saw that the markings were really the faded remains of beautiful paintings, depicting the gods, day-to-day lifestyle, and everything in between. Suddenly, she felt her head begin to spin and fog cloud her vision. Everything seemed different, yet the same. Suddenly another dizzy spell overtook her, and when she recovered, she saw that the rock of the tunnel seemed less worn by time, the paint vibrant hues of green, blue, and all the colors of the rainbow. After another few minutes, her sight changed again, and she saw that the walls were now bare rock, newly cut into the mountain.

Kel dove inside herself to speak with Brie. _**What is going on?** You are experiencing 'shared' vision. You are seeing the tunnel through the eyes of the Phoenixes who came before, who came down to hide away their treasures for the next generation of Phoenixes. This one, with the roughly-hewn rock, is my experience. _Kel nodded in an affirmative manner and steeled herself for the next dizzy spell. After several more visions, a particularly severe dizzy spell struck her, and when she opened her eyes to clear her vision, she say fire-scorched walls and bodies, their bloated faces covered with cloths by whoever the survivors were. Kel shut her eyes to the sight, turning once more to Brie. _**What happened here?** This is what filled the vision of my fifteenth successor, the Shang Phoenix Yukiko Tamahashi. This is what her eyes met after the first and only attack on the Order by the Association of the Dragon. The Association's members were driven back, but at high price. Many perished. Why do you think the walls were painted? The bloodstains would not come out._ Kel opened her eyes, viewing the carnage with a steely eye. **_I'm going to make sure that this will never happen again, _**she said to herself and Brie.

A dizzy spell ended the gruesome sight, and Kel continued down the hallway. There were huge iron doors to the left and right, each door impenetrable and without marking. There weren't any handles. At the end of the long hallway, after passing over two dozen doors, they came to the end of the passageway- the blank rock wall was obscured by an enormous stone ball, twice Keladry's height. Kasumi pointed at it. "Open this door, and the contents of the vault are yours." Kel stared at the gargantuan rock. How on earth was she supposed to open this? She asked the question of Brie, but her only response was, _Figure it out yourself. I can' t always help you._ Kel inwardly glared, then proceeded to examine the rock. There was an indentation in the floor where the rock was supposed to roll. But how would she roll it? She went over the rock's surface with the pads of her fingers. She felt an oddly-shaped indentation and pressed her finger into it. Suddenly a bit of sand crumbled off, and Kel was staring at a small circle, the exact same size as her pendant. She pulled the platinum chain from her neck and inserted the circular pendant into the rock. She closed her eyes, steeled herself, and pushed the pendant into the rock. There was an audible click, and- nothing happened.

Kel frowned and tried again. Once more, nothing happened. She walked around to the other side of the rock, only to see another rock wedged between the stone ball and the floor. With some difficulty and a pair of bruised fingers, Kel extracted the pebble and returned to her pendant. Once more she pressed on it, and her heart leapt as she felt the giant rock move. She pressed harder, then threw all her weight into it. The rock groaned and rolled away, just slowly enough for Kel to snatch her pendant from its crevice. "Very good. Now, shall we see what is inside?" asked Kasumi. The rock had been placed at a specific angle, so that when pressed at a single point, which was filled by the pendant, it would roll away. Kel was wondering at the mathematics of it all, when she suddenly remembered what she was down here for. She turned back to Kasumi. The other woman was bending down to fit through the surprisingly small doorway that led to the vault. Kel followed, grazing the top of her head painfully on the stooping lintel of the door. She shook her head to clear it and gazed around.

There was gold and treasures everywhere. But what caught Kel's eye the most was not gold. It was a simple parchment that was rolled up and tossed into a corner of the room. Brie silently urged Kel to go over and pick it up. Kel found that the parchment wasn't one sheet. Instead, she unrolled the sheets and set the papers down on an elaborate table that couldn't possibly have fit through the door.

On one was an ink drawing of Brie, coming down from the sky onto a battlefield with a pair of golden wings extended behind her. On another was a map that seemed to be damaged. Water had wreaked havoc on the ink, and it was splotched and impossible to look at. In fact, just looking at it hurt Kel's eyes. She quickly turned the damaged paper over and looked at the next. This one was of a devilishly handsome young man, Scanran from his build, barechested, with dragon's wings growing from his back. Another revealed an unlabeled map of a strange island, showing a mountain spewing fire surrounded by a rocky plain ringed in by a large lake, or possibly the ocean. The next drawing showed a griffin, resplendent in golden plumage, soaring into the sky with sunlight flashing off the tip of its wickedly hooked beak. Finally Kel turned to the last of the parchments. This last drawing stopped Kel in her tracks. It was a drawing- of herself. In the drawing, Kel stood feet planted, head thrown back, thrusting what looked like a spear into the arching body of her foe, stabbing her enemy like pinning a beetle to a board. Light shone all around her, indicated by lines that emanated from a circle around her head, almost like a halo. Kel quickly flipped the drawing over and turned to Kasumi.

"This is all the Phoenixes'?" Kasumi nodded. "Yes- generations of the Order's leaders came here to bring offerings and deposit their last treasures. You are free to take what you need. It's all yours, anyway. I'll be outside. There are chests and sacks aplenty." With that, Kasumi turned and left Kel standing in the middle of a treasure trove. Kel didn't really want to take a lot. Yet, at Brie's insistent urging, she took two medium-sized chests and filled them to brimming with the most valuable things she could find. One she filled completely with treasure, and the other completely with money and jewels. She gasped when she found a diamond the size of a potato. She left that where it sat. Again Brie urged her to fill two more medium-sized sacks with money.

Kel found that a corner of the room, when cleared of a heap of expensive rugs, revealed another door to another of the Phoenixes' vaults. One small connecting chamber was filled completely with the rare and valuable Bloodfire stones, found only in the heart of a volcano, and platinum coins. Kel scooped up the platinum, filling up a third chest with bloodfire stones and platinum coins. She stared around. She seemingly took a lot, but the treasure looked as untouched as it was before she came. She hefted the three chests and two sacks onto a cart that was waiting outside, rolled the huge stone back into place, and pushed the cart back to the surface. This time she wasn't plagued by dizzy spells and intense visions.

Kasumi regarded her small collection with interest. "I thought you would have taken more. Oh well, with the Gift, we can send you more if you need any. Let's go back to your quarters with this. I'll help you." Kel shook her head. "Thank you, but I can get back just fine. Why don't you go humble- er, help Fredrik. I'm sure he could use some of your lessons." Kasumi grinned, bowed to Kel, and walked away. Kel smiled back and concentrated fiercely. There was a wrenching force, then suddenly she found herself in the Star Room, sitting on one chest with the other two on either side and the several sacks of money sitting on top of each. Kel lugged them into her bedroom, then sat at her desk, preparing to write a letter to the Emperor to graciously accept his invitation.

Kel scowled fiercely through her already scowling face mask. As a safeguard, she and Fredrik had traded places with two of their guards. Kel felt a muscle above her eye twitch. Kel would have gotten to the Palace through the Phoenix's Rose room, but the Emperor had _insisted_ on the more conventional way there. So Kel had saddled up Peachblossom and Hoshi and prepared for the journey. She did acknowledge the wisdom, or complete paranoia that caused the Emperor to do things that hard and extremely safe way, but she didn't have to like it. To get some air, she tugged off her helmet and facemask. They were completing the last stretch of road to the Imperial City, working their way through the crowds of fishmongers, cattle drivers, lordly carriages, and peasants on the way to the gate. Kel scanned the area, using the brief respite as a means to make use of her honed peripheral vision. There was nothing suspicious to be seen, so Kel tugged her helmet and facemask back on. They rode in silence for some time before a fleet-footed blur snatched Kel's purse from its place at her hip and took off into the crowd. Kel leapt off her horse to go after the theif. Fredrik called after her, "Wait, Mistress, Wait! Just let him go." Kel ignored him. That purse held not just money, which she could easily replace, but the sketches she had found in the Phoenixes' treasure room. She had no idea what would happen if those got into the wrong hands. She shoved her way through the milling crowd, always seeing the flash of black that remained stubbornly just paces ahead of her. She doggedly kept on, ignoring the spectacle she was making of herself.

"You! Stop right there!" Kel felt incredibly idiotic as she belatedly realized that the thief would just completely ignore her. Finally, she stopped in a dark alleyway. The bare walls were too high to scale without slowing down. The thief was nowhere in sight. She noted some empty barrels in a corner. She shouted, "Is anyone there?" Then she said loudly enough for the thief to hear, "Damn his bloody hide- that was my best gold. I'll never get it back." With that, she stomped noisily away from the alley opening. When she was just around the building's corner, she removed all her armor quickly, gave a copper she had in her boot to a young boy to watch her armor, and barreled into the alleyway just as the figure was climbing out of the barrel.

Kel connected solidly with the thief's middle as she tackled him. There was a grunt from Kel and a moan from the thief as they landed on the dirt, wrestling. Kel was impressed. This person, whoever she or he was, was as good as any of the Masters at the Order. They struggled for a few more minutes until Kel finally came up on top, sweating and breathing heavily. She wrenched her purse from the thief's hand and gingerly got off of her opponent, stuffing the pouch into her pocket. When the thief attempted to run, she grabbed the person's shirt and held on. Finally, when the struggle died down, Kel pulled the thief close and tore off his- no, her, mask. To Kel's surprise, she stared at a girl who was in her late teens, just a few years younger then Kel, maybe Fredrik's age. She was tall for a Yamani, just about five foot seven inches. Kel tightened her grip on the thief's shirt. "Who are you? Who do you work for?" Her only response was a sullen glare. Kel shook the girl's shirt. "Answers, please." When she didn't get an answer, she slowly let go of the young woman's shirt, making sure that she was blocking the opening of the alleyway. An idea occurred to Kel, and she pulled the girl's wrist to her. Tattooed on the inside of her arm was a symbol that was well known in the capital city. It was the Yamani characters for the Yakuza.

Kel frowned. A member of the Yakuza. That meant this girl was as skilled as any graduate of the Order. The Yakuza was extensive gang system of the Imperial City. She didn't want news of her arrival to spread so soon. She knew that the Yakuza would send someone out to meet her, and not in a friendly manner. On her journey, Kel had heard news that a bounty was out on her head, at least in the underground world of gangs. And she had no doubt who had put the bounty on the list. The Association of the Dragon would probably recruit the Yakuza to their cause. She looked back at the girl, who was quietly slipping around her, with her back to the wall. Kel irritably shook her head. "You'll have to come with me." The girl frowned and started to run. Kel tackled her again before she could leave the alley. "We could do this the hard way, or the easy way. You could walk out of here like a civilized person and I'll get you some food and shelter and I won't call my guards. Or, I could scream, and all the Emperor's men will come in two seconds flat. Another option is for me to bring you forcibly, and I know you don't want that." The girl sullenly walked behind Kel as they exited the alley. On Kel's orders, she put on the armor Kel had abandoned. Amidst the crowd of Yamanis, Kel's tanned Tortallan skin and dark brown hair stood out like a beacon at night.

When they reached the carriage, with Kel's arm clamped firmly around the girl's wrist, Fredrik raised his facemask and glared at Kel. "Honorable Phoe-" Kel clapped a hand over his mouth. "Not now, Fredrik." She opened the door for the girl and climbed in after her. The two guards had already climbed out the other door. Kel ordered the girl to remove the armor. Kel took it all back and re-armed herself, ordering the two guards to keep a close eye on her captive as they rode to the palace. She took her place with Peachblossom, and the carriage and guard continued on with no further incident, Kel telling Fredrik what had happened in a hushed voice.

At the Palace, Kel, Fredrik, and her 'guest' were escorted to their rooms. Fredrik's was a plain room, furnished beautifully and simply. It was down the hall from Kel's room. Kel, and on her request, the girl, were shown to the Phoenix's suite, a complex of rooms. Kel settled down in her room, washed in the washroom, and told the girl to do the same. Kel frowned as she looked the girl up and down, trying to determine her clothes size. Finally she ordered a maid to find something that fit the girl. Kel dressed in formal Tortallan clothes, fashioned for her specifically at the Order, which consisted of a black velvet tunic with a single flame of gold stitched on the chest, a white shirt with billowing sleeves, black breeches and knee-high black polished boots. Gryphon and a long dagger hung from her wide belt, and a thin dagger thrust into her boot completed the ensemble.

When she emerged from her dressing room, she found the young girl wearing a maroon kimono embroidered with white cranes, tied at the waist with a bronze obi. Her hair flowed down her back, long and straight, down to her waist. Kel was pleased. It was a good thing the girl didn't protes- "Honorable Master," the girl said through gritted teeth in Common, "I must not accept these gifts. I must return to my home- I thank you for your hospitality, but I must leave now." Kel shook her head. "Oh no you aren't. You've seen far too much. And I don't want the Yakuza-" The girl gave a start. "Yes, did you think that I didn't see that? Anyhow, I don't want the Yakuza to get involved just yet. I need information, girl-" Kel shook her head. "I can't just call you 'girl'. What's your name?" The girl shook her head, resigned. "I am called Akane Kinomoto. I can't tell you anything; I'll be killed." Kel nodded. "Alright. Well, I'll tell you this. You'll stay with me tonight, I'd like to catch up on what's been happening in the city, and you're the only one I know will tell the truth." The girl answered, "Well, why would I be the only one to tell the truth?" Kel grinned. "You're the only one who has her life in my hands." Akane winced. "All right. What do you want to know. I really don't have the time for this." Kel smiled. "Well, you could begin by telling me about the intrigues of the Palace. I know that you've got people here and know exactly what's going on." Akane sighed and began.

After about two hours of talking, Akane was hoarse and Kel was tired. "Thank you for the update. Tomorrow I'll take you back to Yakuza headquarters. For now, go and sleep in the guest bedroom. It's right off of my room. And don't try leaving. There aren't any windows, and this place is locked up tight. Magically and mechanically. Plus, the only way out is through my door, and I am a _very_ light sleeper. I wouldn't suggest crossing me in the dark of the night." Akane smiled tiredly, having gotten used to Kel in their short time together. She walked out of the room and to her bed. Kel undressed and glanced outside. It was already an hour past nightfall. She frowned as her stomach rumbled. She hadn't had a chance to get dinner. Ah, well. Just as she was getting ready to fall indo a deep, deep sleep, Brie spoke up.

_Keep her._ Kel rolled over onto her side. **_Excuse me?_** She asked. _The girl, Akane. I don't know why, but I feel somehow we're connected. She may be the first part of this puzzle to defeating the Dark One. **Alright, alright. I'll take care of it tomorrow. Just let me sleep, okay?** Good dreams, little one. Mithros bless._

Author's Note:

Alright, I wanted to make up for all the weeks I haven't updated. Plus I decided to get things moving along here. Do you like the chapters the size they were before, or like this? Comments, please.

-L.S.


	17. Palace Life

Chapter 17: Palace Life

Kel rubbed sleep from her eyes. Quietly she entered her charge's room. The girl, Akane, was sprawled out on the comfortable bed, sleeping soundly. Kel stood over her, thinking. Absently she reached down and smoothed the hair from Akane's face. "You're far too much trouble than you know," she murmured. With that, Kel stepped out to begin her morning stretches.

After stretching, Kel did several dozen floor press-ups and went through the Dance of the Dragon. Though not as skilled as the Elders of the Order, Kel was still considered quite good. When she was done, she set up several candles on a table, the floor, and the back of a chair. Having lit them all, Kel began a simplified version of the Candle Dance, in which she sliced the wicks of the candles without the blade touching the flame. Deep in concentration, she gave a start and chopped a candle in two when she saw Akane in the doorway, gaping. What had knocked Kel out of her concentration was Akane's sneeze. Relaxing from her defensive posture, she blew out the remaining candle and leaned her glaive on her bed, as the walls of her room were made of paper and wood framework. Kel crossed her arms and looked up and down at the girl. She was dressed in the street clothes she had had on the day before. Kel shook her head.

"You're not going anywhere yet, Kinomoto-chan. I'm your ticket out of here, and currently, I have no plans of going anywhere. So why don't you come sit with me and have some rice and fish?" The waiters had silently brought in breakfast for Keladry and Akane. The two young women ate in silence. "So, how old are you, Akane?" The other girl gave a start.

"I am sixteen summers, why?" Kel shook her head. "I'll answer your questions later. How long have you been with the Yakuza?" Akane began to fidget. These questions were starting to get personal. "I have been under Jin Lee my entire life." Kel looked at Akane. "Jin Lee?" Akane tapped her fingers on the table, her expression unreadable. "Yes, my adoptive father." Kel nodded and asked no more questions.

While the two were eating, Brie spoke up. _Give her your ring. **What? **Give her your ring. I need something we're familiar with to connect with her. Give it to her. **Excuse me? Just what are you planning on doing? **I'm going to sift through her memories. Just the recent ones. I need to get a sense of who she is, you haven't given me much information through your constant bantering, I figure I'd take things into my- your hands. **I really don't feel comfortable with this. **What do you mean? **Well, for starters, I don't think we should tear her from the only home she's ever known. Really- maybe she doesn't want to go with us. **Maybe she does. **Stop being so stubborn, Brie! I'm not about to go rooting around in someone else's personal life or their thoughts. **You won't be doing it. I will. ** I'm not going to let you do this! **Look, Keladry. I don't know why- I don't know how, but you and this girl are connected. We are connected. To get through the Final Battle, we've got to get there first- and somehow I know she's a key piece. **Fine. But I'm going to ask her about herself, and if she refuses to answer, I'll let you look through. But quickly. I don't want you digging too deep. **She won't even know I'm there. _Kel looked up from her meal.

"So, Akane- I'm planning to go on a rather long trip. I do need some people to accompany me, and I thought that you may be one of those people. You see," Kel was interrupted by a knock at the doorframe. She turned around and cleared her throat nervously, though she tried not to show it. "Come on in!" Fredrik entered, bowing first to Kel, then bowing a little less formally to Akane.

"Mistress Keladry- are we going to train? I thought you and I were going this morning. It's alright with me if you'd like to cancel." Kel smiled.

"Oh- you're not getting off that easy. Mistress Kinomoto, would you like to join us at the dojo? You may consider my offer there." Akane nodded, and after she and Kel had changed, they all started for the dojo.

Kel and Fredrik both warmed up their sword arms and started to duel, mainly just testing the other and waiting for an opening. Marcus lunged forward, and with a flick of her knife, he was disarmed and on the ground. Kel helped him up and showed him exactly what she had done. After he had tried it a few times, Kel lunged at him, and he disarmed her as quickly and neatly as she had done him. Kel grinned and began to teach him more tricks of swordplay.

"You're a very fast learner," Kel said to Fredrik as they stopped for a drink of water after a half-hour. Akane was sitting on a bench, idly cleaning her nails with the edge of a dagger. Kel motioned her over. Akane approached rather uncertainly.

"Yes, Mistress?" Kel shook her head. She hated when people called her that. "Call me Keladry. No- just Kel. Alright?" Akane nodded. "Now, why don't you show me what you can do. You and Fredrik can spar. Would you like to use weapons, or do you want to do hand-to-hand combat?" Akane grinned.

"Well, I am better and hand to hand combat. But- I don't want to hurt him." Kel struggled to contain a smile.

"I think that you're underestimating us, Kinomoto. Why don't you two try it out inside?" Kel led the two teens into the main dojo and the training mats. She secured an area and motioned at Fredrik and Akane to begin. Kel stood to the side, watching her two charges disarm. Fredrik dropped his sword and dagger into a small pile, while Akane began unearthing shuriken, kunai, and other very sharp and painful-looking weapons from all over her body. She undid her belt and placed it on the ground. To Kel's surprise, it was really a long length of rope topped by three large metal balls. The weights at the end had been hidden in what looked like a pouch on her belt. Finally, after dropping a small pouch of poison darts on top of her rather large mountain of weaponry, she turned to face Fredrik. Fredrik, on the other hand, was joined in the collective company of people who were staring at Akane's armory. He snapped out of it, however, and the two began to circle each other. To Kel's surprise, Akane charged first, hands out for Fredrik's throat. To Brie, Kel remarked, **_Rather crude, don't you think?_**

Before Brie could answer, Akane swifly changed her attack to center in on Fredrik's pressure points near his face. **_Oh, _** Kel though to Brie as the girl lunged in once more. Just before her hands were about to poke Fredrik painfully, he veered away, lunging to the side and sweeping his leg out. Akane plummeted forwards, only to turn the fall into a roll. As both combatants regained their feet, Akane looked with new respect at Fredrik. "Much better than I thought, Scanran," she said, with a wicked grin on her face. Fredrik smiled knavishly back, "Well, I am full of surprises." With that, he sped towards Akane. She blocked his attack and used his hesitation to mount the offensive.

The duel went on for some time, until Akane feigned a slice to the head, then thudded a fist into Fredrik's stomach. She swept his feet out from under him, and he fell to the floor, wheezing. "That's enough! She wins!" Akane smiled, then bowed to Fredrik, who bowed back, and then to Kel. Kel studied the girl once more. _**She could have killed him. I saw plenty of holes in his defense. Somehow, I know she did too. **Didn't I tell you? We need her. **Perhaps you're right. We'll go down to the city at lunch, perhaps she'll give me an answer then. **I knew you'd come around. Now, why don't you train with Fredrik for a bit more. He could be a master swordsman, like you. He's got the capacity for it and much more. You've got to train him. Go ahead and let Akane go train with some of the Palace masters. In fact, is that the armsmistress Narika over there?_

Kel grinned wickedly. She brought Akane close. "Come meet one of the teachers I had in my childhood. She is very… good at training. You may just learn a few things from her. Let's go." To Fredrik, Kel called, "Practice those moves I just showed you. I'll be back in a minute." Kel and Akane set off towards the armsmistress.

Narika looked up to see a towering figure before her. At closer glance, the graceful giant standing before her was none other than- the Tortallan she had trained- Daughter of Ilane of Mindelan. That was over a decade ago. She bowed to the tall stranger. "Keladry- you have grown." Kel hid a smile.

"Honorable Armsmistress. Thank you. I have come to introduce you to a young friend of mine. This may be her last day here at the Palace, and I believe you may have some things you could teach her. If you have the time, of course. If not, I shall go ask Sensei Jiraya-" Narika interrupted.

"Why, I don't mind. In fact, why don't you show me what you have learned while you were away." Kel shook her head. "I am honored by your invitation, but there is another student of mine who needs me. Perhaps another time, mistress. In the meanwhile, would you care to give young Akane some pointers?" Narika harrumphed. "Alright, alright. Come here, girl." Akane glanced balefully at Keladry, already knowing where this was going. She bowed low to Narika and approached, only to have her chin roughly grabbed and her head turned from side to side in inspection. "Yes… I shall tend to her, Keladry. Go to that boy over there.:" Kel backed away and turned back to Fredrik. Just as she picked up her sword, she looked back at Narika and Akane. Narika smacked the back of the girl's head as she pointed out mistakes in her approach. Kel grinned once more and turned to Fredrik. "Sooo… How about that footwork?"

Akane rubbed the back of her head gingerly. "I think that old hen gave me a bald spot…" Kel thumped her once more, soundly, on the back of the head. "OUCH! What was that for?" Kel pushed back a smile. "Don't ever cal Narika an 'old hen,' at least, not in front of me. I bet you could find several of her apprentices share your opinion, however. " Akane smiled ruefully.

"She did show me a lot, though. It's a pity I won't be coming back…" Kel waved Fredrik on ahead and sat on a nearby bench, patting the seat beside her. She leaned back casually on the back of the bench, crossing her legs out in front of her and resting her arms on the back of the bench. As Akane sat beside her, Kel replied, "Well, why on earth wouldn't you be coming back? I did say you're free to stay with me." Akane nodded.

"I would love to stay with you! It's just- I'm something like a bonded Yakuza. My father sold me and my brother-" Kel stifled the urge to choke. "You have a brother?" Akane nodded. "We're twins." When Kel said nothing, she went on, "my father sold us to the Yakuza to get out of debt. He borrowed too much money and couldn't pay it back. It's not like I remember- I was just a few years old. My life has been the Yakuza. I couldn't just leave it. And if I did, it would be at a high price. I'm staying with the Yakuza for the rest of my life. I leave, I get killed. I've already taken a risk staying with you. Plus, being with the Yakuza isn't so bad. It keeps me alive. I don't starve often, and if I do, its because I'm being punished." Kel stroked her chin thoughtfully.

"Well, why don't we see about releasing you from your debt? We'll take your brother too." Akane looked up at Kel searchingly.

"You'd never get out of there alive. You'd never get in there alive. I'm already going to get punished for staying with you. You needn't get in harm's way." Kel grinned.

"Oh, just you watch. Come on, we'll have to hurry if we want to get back here before dark. Yakuza, here I come!"

Author's Note- It being summer break, one could claim that, due to the lack of school, an author could write pages and pages of work. Well, they certainly got it wrong. It seems that more and more distractions are unearthing themselves, crawling, and sinking their little fangs into my free time. Plus, because there isn't any school, I don't really have an insatiable desire to go and write stories. Don't ask me why, I just don't know how to explain it.

I'm also going through a _"phase," _as my mother calls it. I'm trying to make my writing not reflect my mood, or else Keladry would almost definitely be suicidal. Trust me, bear with me if there is a bit of time in between chapters. I need a little school to get me back into mental shape.

My Apologies,

L.S.


	18. Confrontation

Chapter 18: Confrontation

Akane led Kel to a large inn and tavern at the edge of the Imperial City. Because it was around midday, not many people were in the tavern. A Yamani man was sprawled all over a table- probably passed out from too much wine too late at night. At another corner, a young Carthaki woman repeatedly doused and lit the flame of a nearby candle with her Gift while waiting for a drink. Akane leaned in to Kel.

"This is your last chance to back out. If you don't want to come, just go ahead and leave. I'll take care of myself." Kel glanced at Akane wryly and stayed put. A waitress approached them. Her sleeve receded, just giving Kel time to identify a jade bracelet. Several Yamani characters were inscribed into it with some kind of scarlet paint. Akane brushed her hair back casually and asked, "I'm here to deliver a message to Lord Aykazu. His mother has sent a gift of great value and news of his family. My companion holds the message."

The waitress nodded, and Kel and Akane stood and followed her to the hallway where the rooms were. To Kel's surprise, they went down the hall to a storage room at the end. It was filled with cleaning supplies and extra furniture. The waitress took hold of a rug and rolled it aside. Below was revealed a trapdoor. Akane pulled it open and she descended into the darkness down a ladder. At a glance from the waitress, Kel followed suit. The waitress followed Kel and pulled the door shut, sliding a wooden panel into place over their heads, just below the trapdoor.

Kel counted forty rungs before her feet hit solid ground. She stood behind Akane as the waitress once again took the lead. They were in a tunnel that was surprisingly well dug. The walls were lined with stone and were dark with age. Shallow pools of water littered the stone pathway. The waitress went ahead, and Akane leaned in to Kel, whispering just loud enough for Kel to barely make out what she was saying.

"These are what used to be the sewers. They were abandoned, and now are one of the means of transportation of the Yakuza. In the rainy season, these tunnels are flooded and are blocked off. There are other entrances, of course. This tunnel leads to a warehouse outside of the main city. That's where we'll meet Hiragawa." Kel frowned.

"Hira-" Akane cut her off with a wave of her hand. Their fast pace had brought them to the end of the tunnel, where a ladder like the one they had descended awaited. The waitress climbed up first, followed by Kel and Akane. A large metal disk that had been pressed into the floor was lifted and put aside so that the women could get through. Kel concealed her relief at returning to the surface and outside air.

They were in the shadow of a large warehouse in what was the slums of the city. A black cat looked at them with disturbingly golden eyes, then padded off behind a pile of rubbish. Kel's relief at fresh air was short-lived, however, as the entire area reeked of filth and waste. She fought the urge to gag with a straight face and looked at Akane for instructions.

Akane said no word, only following the waitress into the warehouse. Just inside the door, two Yamani men bundled in rags, seemingly with leprosy, approached them. "Alms?" The waitress extended her arm, revealing the bracelet once more. She dropped a gold noble into the man's hand. The beggar straightened, changing from a weary old man into a powerful warrior in his mid-forties. "This way, please."

Kel studied the warehouse. Before, when she had entered, the warehouse looked like an abandoned fish storage building. Now, it was transformed. There were two levels, the ground floor and the loft. The loft was really a wide walkway about twenty feet wide that ran along three walls. Two staircases at either wall led up to the loft. The ground floor was being used as a training area. A man sprinted from one wall to the other, while two targets were peppered with arrows. Two ten-foot wide circles were used as training places for Gifted people. Every once in a while a stray fireball would fly outwards and disintegrate against some kind of magical barrier.

Hand-to-hand combat was practiced in one corner, while katanas crashed against each other in another. One thing stood out to Kel. A large tree stump, five feet wide, was covered in slashes and pockmarks, presumably from shuriken and kunai. Two armored guards led Kel and Akane up a flight of stairs to one wall of the loft, where a large map of the Imperial city was pasted on the wall. Maps were everywhere. They littered the floor and desks, marked in different colors of ink and of different ages. Tortall was on the wall, as well as the Yamani Islands. So were the Copper Islands, and Carthak. The face of a map of Jindazhen was stabbed in multiple places with blood-red darts, and two men were lazily aiming their darts for another attack. Akane led Kel up the stair case to the loft. As she walked up, Kel caught sight of a training master beating one of the students when he dropped his stave.

She glanced away quickly, tight-lipped. At the far end of the loft, Akane elbowed her way through a line of large-muscled guards to get to a table occupied by what looked like a ragged version of the Shang Council. A man at the head of the table was dressed fashionably, if not simply, in an outfit that reminded Kel of what the Shaolin monks at the temple outside of the city wore. He was probably in his late thirties, roguishly handsome, with graying hair caught back in a horse-tail. A closely cut beard and mustache helped to cover up a scar that ran down his left cheek.

"Akane- it is certainly a surprise," The man said, with icy politeness. Kel recognized the tone- the man would certainly punish Akane later, in private.

"Sensei Lee, may I introduce the one who I have been staying with- this is Keladry of Mindelan." Kel hadn't told Akane what her title was- it was a well-kept secret in the Palace. Kel bowed, just formally enough for Jin Lee. He smiled thinly. "So, you are the one who has been keeping my daughter." Keladry smiled back just as coldly.

"Yes… I have come to ask if Akane and her brother could accompany me on a journey that I am planning on taking. I'm willing to pay whatever price that is necessary to have them come with me." Kel crossed her arms. _Be careful, this one is tricky. **Yes, Brie, I see that.** _

"Well, you see, these two are very important to me- they are like my own children. I couldn't just let them leave with just anyone. I need to know just how well I can trust you with the lives of my two children. I propose a challenge." Jin Lee quirked one eyebrow. Kel was intrigued by the offer. She tilted her head.

"And what kind of challenge would that be, Master Lee?" He smiled.

"Simply three tests. You against me. A test with weapons, one in hand-to-hand combat, and the last a test of wit- a riddle competition. What say you? Best two out of three." Kel smiled back, almost warmly.

"I think that's a fantastic idea."

The tests began with a lot of commotion. It wasn't every day that the godfather of the city's Yakuza was going to spar against a total stranger from the Imperial Palace. The training grounds were cleared of all people. All of the students and Yakuza agents crowded at the edge of the loft, straining to stare down into the first floor. Kel saw that several Yamanis with the Gift were standing at each corner of the warehouse floor.

"Here is how the combat will commence. My four strongest mages will cast a glamour over the combat area. We will be set in a terrain that shall be of your choosing, and each competitor shall seek out and arm themselves with weapons placed randomly around the field. Now, the trick is, each weapon has a five minute holding time, so, if at the end of five minutes you have not struck a blow against your opponent, the weapon will transport to another randomly selected spot on the field. My Gifted agents will make sure that all blows are not lethal- the weapons that you'll find will feel real and handle just as well as a normal lance, spear, or katana would- they just won't strike a deathblow. Whoever is knocked out or unable to fight first will lose. There will be a fifteen minute break afterwards." The Gifted training master bowed to Jin Lee, then to Kel, and stepped back in deference. Kel tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"Why don't we set this in… a Tortallan forest. Is that agreeable, Master Lee?" The man smiled mysteriously.

"That sounds fine. Let us commence. Select your armor style. We have a well-stocked armory on hand." Jin Lee disappeared into a nearby changing room, as did Kel.

"This is gonna be fun," she said to herself as the doors to the dark room closed behind her.

A/N- sorry for taking so long to update. I'd like to make note of a few things, though, guys.

-Kel WILL get to Tortall and she WILL meet her friends. But please, this story is going to have a plot, and actions, that do not directly involve Tortall and her friends. She will meet new people, and I'm pretty sure you'll like the story. Please mind that this is a FANfiction, and I'm NOT tamora pierce. I tell you all this lovingly- you guys are great, just please be patient, and wait until Kel gets to the point where she DOES get to Tortall.

-Dom will have a short cameo in this story. I'm not saying anymore.

Thanks for all the review, you all have been awesome. I'm on Fall Break now, soooo... expect a new chapter soon!

L.S.


	19. Fights

Chapter 19: Fights

The lights in the changing room turned on. On all sides, Kel was surrounded with armor. Anything her pendant could have provided there. But she was glad, all she had to do was clutch her pendant, and a suit of black covered her from head to toe. A mask covered all of her face but her eyes, and only her hands were left uncovered, although a piece of cloth that wrapped around her forearms was connected to each hand's middle finger.

For the few minutes that she was allotted to change, Kel conversed with Brie.

_**So… what do you think now, Brie?**_

_About what?_ Came the impish reply.

_**Oh, you know, where all this is going. If I lose this coming battle, the world is doomed. **_

_Stop being so dramatically sarcastic. You'll be fine. This handsome Jin Lee is certainly good, but between you and me, we can take him._

_**It's really just me who is fighting him, you know that, right?**_

_I'm not a dimwit. If things get too desperate, I'll just take over your body. _

_**Oh, well, you won't have a chance. I remember what it was like when you did it the first time, and it isn't going to happen again.**_

_Plus, I'll be able to see what you can't._

_**Isn't that like cheating?** _Kel asked bemusedly.

_Well, not really, he knows this kind of thing- magical battlegrounds- better than you do. He probably has it rigged so that the only things you'll be able to find are claymores and awkward Carthaki weapons to fight with. I wouldn't worry about playing fair._

_**I guess that makes sense. Just don't interfere much, please. It's slightly distracting. **_

_Sure thing, boss,_ came the sarcastic reply. Just as the reply formed in Kel's head, the door swung open into a thickly wooded Tortallan forest. A booming voice issued from the fake-sunlight that filtered through the giant trees. "The combatants may now commence. Let the challenge begin." There was a brief flash of light, and Kel found herself in the forest, looking around.

_Well, standing around won't help much. Find him, knock him out or whatever you do, and get this over with. We've got to finish this soon. Don't ask me why, or how. I haven't the foggiest. Just hurry up about it. _Kel grimaced as she clambered to the top branches of a nearby elm tree.

_**No need to be bossy- Patience is a virtue.**_

_Don't preach to me, young missy. I made that saying up. _Kel grinned and tried to see through the sun-dappled leaves. There wasn't any luck in finding anything, though. All around were trees and semi-thick shrubbery.

_Well, do this. Surrender a bit of control to me. I used to have the Gift. You can't work it, but I can do a little something to your body. I use it rarely. A quick explanation- I gather the stray bits of Gift floating around us and use them to lift you up in a semblance of flying. In reality, you're just defying gravity a bit. The little flakes will pick you up, but if you jump off of a branch in no direction, you'll fall. Caput. All you have to do is jump from branch to branch. Don't worry about if it'll support your weight. Just jump. As long as you don't stop, we could go on for a long time. And don't try and pick up a lance or something. That's just plain stupid. _

**_Yes ma'am. _**Kel lowered her mental guards just a bit. She felt herself go numb for a split second, then all was back to normal. Brie gave a mental tug, and Kel felt tingles shoot down her spine. Suddenly, she felt light, airy, like her bones were hollow. Quickly she sprang from the branch she was on, to the next one, and the next. She traversed the forest this way, jumping from branch to branch. Kel wasn't tired at all. A thin film of sweat broke out on her forehead, however, when she began to grow impatient.

**_Dammit! Where is that Jin Lee? I want to finish this!_** Brie gave no answer. After a few minutes, Kel saw a faint glow on the ground below. She jumped quickly down to the ground, hopping from branch to branch with increasing ease and grace. A bag used for storing shuriken floated two feet above a metal disk in the ground. A faint light back lit it, coming from the steel plate below. Kel grabbed it and pulled it open, revealing several shuriken and kunai. She strapped it onto her thigh and jumped back into the trees.

Just minutes after claiming her first weapon, Kel spotted Jin Lee. He crouched, picking up a katana from a disk that resembled the one she had collected her shuriken at. She pulled out a shuriken and threw it at his arm. It struck his arm and grated as it hit a hidden chainmail shirt beneath it. Kel cursed and threw herself into the shadow of another tree's branch. She peeked around the trunk, seeing him pick up the shuriken and trace it's bladed edges with a cautious finger.

"Aha. The elusive enemy strikes from behind. And yet-" He turned and hurled the blade into the trunk of the tree she had been perched in just seconds before. "And yet she remains. Come out, Keladry. I'd like to speak with you." Kel grimaced.

"You wish," she called out, and leaped from tree to tree, raining weaponry down at Jin Lee. Most of her missiles were intentionally off course, but the ones she did aim at him struck the ground. He had rolled into the surrounding shrubbery. She cursed at herself and headed back off into the forest.

Five, ten minutes had passed since her last encounter with Jin Lee. Frustrated, she stopped to pick up a double-headed ax. Suddenly an arrow whistled down from the tree behind her. With the unnatural speed that Brie temporarily granted her, she dropped the ax and twisted, seeing the fletching speed past her nose. She turned and jumped into the tree, almost faster than the eye could see. Brie tightly said to Kel,

_Hurry this up. I can't keep working the spell much longer. _

_**I'll do my best. **_Jin Lee scrutinized Kel from beneath half-lidded eyes.

"So, you move faster than the wind itself. Will you finish this now, Keladry? Will you push me to my doom?" Kel shook her head slowly.

"That would be dishonorable. I just came up to-" Kel stopped herself. Why _was_ she up here? To gloat? To push Jin Lee, like he had suggested? "Nevermind. Know this, Master Lee. Next time we meet will be the last in this forest." With that, Kel leapt away.

She raced among the trees, mind whirling. Why _had_ she stopped? Was she really that cruel, to push someone off of a branch to their certain death? Jin Lee had told her that the weapons wouldn't kill, but certainly a fall from that height would have. _Stop fussing,_ Brie ordered. _It won't change anything now. You must complete your task. There's a clearing up ahead- watch your footing, the trees are starting to thin. _Kel caught herself just before she was about to jump off of a branch into empty space. Quickly she swung from branch to branch, landing softly on the ground. Arrayed around the circular clearing were three weapons. A glaive, a katana, and a longsword. Kel, without hesitation, grabbed the glaive and jumped into the shadows when she heard the crackling of leaves herald the entrance of her opponent, Jin Lee. He bent down and grabbed the longsword, twirling it around experimentally. She stepped out of the foliage.

"Master Lee, what a- surprise." He smiled at her, a courtier's false smile.

"Why this certainly is. Why don't we get started, then?" Kel smiled and raised her glaive.

"Why don't we." He approached cautiously. Kel, pushed by Brie, surged forward. She battered his defenses for a few seconds, then backed off. He then took her brief breathing respite to launch an attack of his own. She parried his blows, backing towards the center of the clearing. Kel wasn't as tired as he was, because of her ease with traveling through the branches, and easily blocked his blows. When she thought she had an opening, she lunged for it. Instead, he feinted at her face, blocked her blow, and jumped backwards. Kel took the opportunity to attack.

The fight lasted for a few minutes. Kel, finally seeing a real opening, thrust her glaive into Jin Lee's chest. She prayed that the magic would hold and he wouldn't die. It did. Jin Lee fell to one knee, white and gasping. The forest faded immediately. Kel found herself in the center of the warehouse's lower floor. Two Gifted mages rushed forth to help their leader up. Somewhere, the glaive and the longsword had disappeared. Kel pulled back to a side wall for the fifteen-minute break. Akane forced her way through the crowd to Kel's side. She handed her a small vial of dark green liquid.

"Here. Drink this." Kel shook her head.

"I don't need a restorative." Akane stubbornly thrust it at her.

"Jin Lee is drinking it too. The Gifted mages don't want anyone to fall over dead. No one can say that Jin Lee isn't fair. If you don't drink it, he won't fight you. Simple as that." Kel, about to argue the finer points of a warrior's honor, caved in and swallowed the vile concoction in two gulps. Akane handed her a waterskin to flush the remains of the taste from her mouth.

"That- wasn't pleasant. Well, is there somewhere I can sit?" Akane led her to a nearby bench.

"How was he? Nobody here has beaten him." Kel shrugged, not wanting to crush Akane's high expectations of him.

"He put up a good fight," **_And could have been beaten by the Graveyard Hag's staff_**, she added to herself. Akane smiled, somehow knowing what Kel had thought.

"Anyhow, you should be cautious. The reason why the Master Lee's branch of the Yakuza isn't that talented in weapon use is because he centralizes training around hand-to-hand combat. He is the deadliest fighter in the capital. Once he killed three men in a duel that lasted three minutes," Akane added.

_Well, now you know- this fight's going to be a good one. **Brie? **Yes? **You're not helping.** Sorry. _Kel rubbed her temples, stressed.

"Akane. You must understand that this is very important. If you have any second thoughts about coming with me, then voice them now. This is more important then you know." Akane looked up at Kel with level eyes.

"I am not stupid, Sensei Keladry. I've made my descision. Do you want me not to come with you? I want to get out of here. I will accept any dangers that are put in my path. If you want me to, I'll get out of your way once this is over. Alright?" Kel shook her head and rubbed her temples.

"No- no, I'm sorry, Akane. I won't go back on my word. You and your brother will come with me, and we'll see what happens from there. I'm sorry- I'm a little stressed right now. I just want to get this done and over with." Akane nodded in understanding.

"I'll be up at the loft. Sakuyo bless, Sensei Kel." The girl backed away and ascended the stairs. _Sakuyo, huh? Well, that's an interesting blessing. Oh well- lie back, and I won't bother you any longer. Take a nap, meditate, do whatever. _**_Alright. Thank you, Brie. _**Kel knelt onto the floor and started to meditate.

A/N- alright. I PROMISE that the next chapter will be longer. I promise.


	20. Intrigue

Chapter 20: Intrigue 

A rough hand jolted Kel out of her half-meditating, half-asleep state. She shook her head and got to her feet, steadying herself against a wall as she shook off dizziness. Once her eyes cleared, she stood back to take in the scene.

It was a plain training mat, square, about fifteen feet in length and width. One corner was prepared for her, the other for Jin Lee. He was already standing at his, wrapping the belt of his hakama around his waist and tying it. Kel had only come equipped with her clothes and her pendant, and nothing else. Quietly she pulled off her boots and loosened her shirt-strings. She tightened her belt and stepped into her corner, where Akane was waiting with a bucket and dipper of water, as well as a towel and stool. Kel bounced lightly from toe to toe, warming up her muscles. Brie said nothing within her, and Kel was happy for the momentary silence. A man dressed all in white nodded for both of the combatants to come forward. Kel approached, facing Jin Lee. The man took a deep breath and began.

"The winner of the last weaponry contest was Keladry-sama. Now, the honorable Lee-san and Keladry-sama will compete in a hand-to-hand sparring match. Rules are this: all holds and grabs are allowed. There will be no usage of the Gift or weapons. The first to fall unconscious or leaves the mat loses." He bowed and backed off the mat. Kel and Jin Lee circled each other, wary and quiet. Kel, fed up and already slightly irritably impatient, charged first against her better judgement. Before she knew it, she was on the ground. _You're underestimating him, Kel,_ Brie began in her mind. Kel took a few deep breaths as they began circling once more.

_**Don't I know it. Don't worry, it won't happen again.** It better not,_ Brie replied. This time, Jin Lee surged forward, one hand going for her eyes as the other grasped her shirt collar. Kel ducked both blows and kicked at Jin Lee's legs. He staggered for just a moment, then righted himself, following up with a feint to Kel's head and a kick to her stomach, which she barely avoided. Hopping backwards, she regained her footing and backed away, struggling for time. _What are you doing? Focus!_ Shouted Brie internally. Kel shook off the haze of annoyance and began to really concentrate. For what seemed like hours, she and Jin Lee flowed from position to position, striking and backing off, blocking and receiving hits.

Soon Kel was in pain; a cut bled from her eyebrow and her left eye was black and throbbing. She favored her knee, having lightly sprained it in a bad kick. Jin Lee didn't fare any better. His wrist was swelling from Kel's kick, his upper lip was bleeding, and his right eye was bruised from one of Kel's elbowings. She charged gracefully forwards once more, and the dance continued.

Soon Kel was dripping with sweat, the salty liquid dripping into her eyes and her cuts, stinging like the burns from a spray of watered acid. Jin Lee was the same. Just as she was about to fall back and surrender, Brie shouted, _There!_ The fight had made both fighters slow. Jin Lee had left her an opening, one fist out and his entire torso exposed. As he raised his knee to knee her, she snapped out her foot and felt something shatter, then he staggered forward into her. Kel grabbed his arm, punched a fist into his stomach, wrenched him over her shoulder, and landed on top of him. When the stars cleared from her vision, Kel staggered to her feet.

Jin Lee had fallen, and she had twisted her body so she landed on his stomach. Kel was pretty sure that his kneecap was broken, and maybe a muscle had torn, and he was certainly knocked out. There was silence in the room for several long seconds. Finally a healer came forward, holding out red-glowing hands to heal Jin Lee. The silence was broken then, and the room exploded into chatter. Kel retreated to her corner of the mat, the crowd of Gifted healers making a pathway for her to walk. Kel sank gratefully into the stool and drank thirstily from the dipper. Now that she was done fighting, her incredible adrenaline rush was ebbing. Her nose throbbed with ungodly pain; it was definitely broken. Her thumb had been broken in the fall; the bone had broken through flesh. She had collected bruises all over, and she was sure that she had sprained her knee and ankle on the same leg. Her entire body throbbed. Blackness crept up on the edges of her vision, however hard she fought. She sagged backward into Akane, and fainted.

Kel sat up. She was lying on the training mat, with two healers looking into her eyes, checking if she was all right. Her pains were definitely reduced- her head buzzed pleasantly and her thumb was wrapped- reset and healed, but still tender. Her eye was reduced in color, when she looked into a nearby bucket of water, and her nose was fixed. She stood, the newly-healed ankle and knee in her right leg slightly watery. She stumbled, and felt Akane come up to support her. She nodded gratefully to the girl and steadied herself.

Around her, healers were clustered around Jin Lee, and many of his followers were staring at her darkly from the sidelines. Akane shifted at Kel's side. Into Kel's ear, she whispered,

"They are healing Sensei Lee. You've won my brother and I in fair combat, but I don't think that the others like that. I hope that no one else challenges you to formal combat- I'd rather you didn't die today. You see, Sensei Lee- he is honorable in the Yakuza. He deemed that you were to be healed of any injury you get from these fights. He does not want to become dishonorable in the eyes of others. But others will not do so. Most are honorable, but there are some that we must keep a close eye on, understand?" Kel nodded, but her reply was cut short as the gaggle of healers retreated to allow Jin Lee to stand. He stood firmly, a testament to his incredible control over his body and mind. He showed no weakness from the healing that had been done upon him. The chatter on all sides stopped when he raised one hand.

"Keladry-sama," Several members in the crowd growled as they recognized the honorific. "My opponent. You have defeated me in all fairness according to the rules of combat. As promised, Akane and Tatsuya are free to go with you wherever you need. Come with me- you, Akane, and Tatsuya, and we shall discuss things further. He detached himself from his crowd of worried healers and walked off the mat and into a door that led into darkness on the other side of the training ground. Kel mentally steadied herself as Akane stood on her right side, and her brother on her left. Quietly she strode across the room, passing in front of all the cold, staring faces, and into the dark room.

As she stepped across the threshold, Kel found that it really wasn't dark- in fact, lights were just beginning to come to life and shine in the darkness of the room. Jin Lee and a scribe sat at a low table furnished with a small stack of papers, a pot of tea, and four cups. Kel settled herself down across from Jin Lee and winced as her mostly-healed bruises protested. Akane took her right-hand place, and Tatsuya her left.

"For the sake of formality, I decided to get away from my officers out there. Also, I'd like to make this as formal as possible. I don't think you would have ever found out, but at Akane and Tatsuya's twenty-first birthdays, I would have declared them my son and daughter." Kel was shocked. She had thought that Akane and Tatsuya had been abused relentlessly by Jin Lee. It turned out she had been wrong.

"As the time has come for us to part, I'd like to write this up early, and make it official- you're free to draw on the coffers of the Yakuza- within limits. You're free to do what you choose. Stay, go, whatever you wish. But as my son and daughter, you have alliances within the Yakuza and more responsibilities. If you leave, you will lose any status you might have gained while in the Yakuza, and if you stay, you may become my potential heirs." Kel was distracted from Jin Lee's speech to see Akane trembling in rage beside her. Kel touched the girl's elbow reassuringly, and Akane slowly got herself under control. Kel snuck a look at Tatsuya, Akane's brother.

He sat emotionless, except for a slight crease between his eyebrows and the whitening of his knuckles as he clenched them tightly. He was obviously upset as Akane was. The silence was broken as Tatsuya, rather than Akane, replied.

"Sensei Lee, we appreciate your… offer. But I believe that you are sorely mistaken. Akane and I shall remain bond-slaves, and will leave this place in the ownership of Keladry-san." Jin Lee's brows knitted, and he pressed the tip of his quill-sharpening dagger a little too deeply into the wood of the table. Kel was astounded at the veritable storm of emotions that clogged the air. Three true Yamanis showing this much emotion did not bode well. Something had to snap, and soon. Kel coughed lightly, her face the only calm face in the tension-filled room. The scribe was shaking with fear.

"That is how it is, then, Lee-san. On behalf of Akane and her brother, I thank you for the offer. But it is their decision, and I intend to act honorably upon it. If you will, may we proceed with the formalities?" That seemed to diffuse the tension, but it continued to lurk in the room like an unwanted dog. Kel signed Akane's and Tatsuya's bond-papers, and the meeting commenced with little drama after that. With the rolled-up parchments in Tatsuya's bag, Kel waited with Jin Lee in the little room as Akane and Tatsuya went to collect their things.

Jin Lee was on his way to the door after an awkward silence, but turned.

"I would be careful if I were you. They have defied their father, they may defy you too." With that, he strode out of the room. A few minutes later, Akane and Tatsuya appeared with their things. A pair of oxen-shouldered guards led them out of the building, and when Kel looked back to see the building, she only saw a fishery. She patted Akane and Tatsuya's shoulders, and the three walked down the road to the Imperial Palace.

Fredrik was waiting, livid, in her rooms.

"Off on business?!" he whisper-shouted. "You go and leave me here, with that awful armsmistress, and you bring back Akane and her brother? You could have at least told me what to do so I wouldn't go wandering around! As it is, the only place I stayed was the training field, where I was forced to through several hundred bouts against these bloody Guardsmen! I do believe I've even got a bruise up my arse!" Kel grinned as she turned away from Fredrik.

"Now, now, watch your language. Besides, I've a treat for you. We'll be staying in the Palace for a while now, and while you're here, you get to train with me. I'll teach you tricks while we stay here. Then we'll be moving on." Fredrik's anger had cooled quickly.

"Moving on where, Lady Pho-" faster than a blink of an eye, Kel had latched her hand over Fredrik's mouth.

"Fool boy!" she whispered harshly in his ear. In a quieter tone, she said, "No one is to know that I'm the Phoenix, understand? If you don't remember, think of this- the walls are made of _paper._ Anyone could be listening from behind a wall or door, understand? If the Association knows that I'm here, they'd be sure to launch some kind of attack that I'd, frankly, like to avoid." Kel backed away from the wide-eyed Fredrik. He stared at her openly, his mouth agape.

"Ah- I'm sorry, Fredrik. I just got a little carried away. Just remember what I told you, alright?" He nodded, mute. "As for where and when we'll be moving on, you'll see. For now though, here's a map of the Imperial Palace." Kel grubbed among the stacks of papers on her desk. She pulled out a tight rolled up parchment and handed it to him.

"Remember, just look at this if you need anything, but keep it on you at all times. This was made for me, and I think there are some rooms on there that should remain secret. You like hunting, right? The Islands are centralized around a thriving fishing economy, but that doesn't mean they don't hunt. Look- here is the fletcher's workshops, and the falconer's perch. Right beside each other." Kel pointed to a corner of the Palace that housed many tradesmen's workshops. "Tomorrow we have to talk about your clothing. You may be part of the Order, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have any formal clothes. The Emperor has allowed me license to my funds as the Phoenix, and I fully intend to outfit you in whatever you need. Remember all those jewels and gold we brought? Well, I fully intend to use them, and not on me. Yamani steel is the best money can buy, and while we're here, we'll buy it. No sense in buying cheap ornamental armor when the Yamani stuff is so much better." Kel, her mind whirling with new ideas, urged Fredrik out the door. Just before she was about to close it behind him, she remembered something, and stuck her head out and called him back. She rummaged amongst her spell-bound treasure chests that were magically disguised to look like an in-use chamber pot, two chairs, and normal traveling cases. Quickly she pulled out a bag of gold. Weighing it swiftly in her hand, she took some gold out and handed it to Fredrik. She strode into Akane's connecting rooms and looked at the girl, who was splayed out on her sleeping mat, reading from some silk scroll.

"Akane?" the girl looked up expectantly. "I was wondering if you could please accompany Fredrik to the fletcher's- I'd like him to learn how to buy things here in the Imperial City, and somehow I don't think that he knows the best way to bargain." Akane grinned, showing all her teeth.

"Ah- show the white boy how to haggle? My pleasure," she said as she thrust herself to her feet. "What is it you need?" Kel stepped closer to the girl and motioned Fredrik in.

"I'd like a bag of griffin feathers. Not griffin-fletched arrows, but just the feathers. This should be enough," she said and motioned to the bag in Fredrik's hands. "For what I want, at least. Get as much as you can for it, please, but don't get dangerous, because I'd rather not be beheaded for threatening an Imperial Officer, however indirectly. Do you know how to identify them?" she asked Fredrik. He should have learned by now, at least from what he studied at the Order. He nodded, as did Akane. **_Hmm. Another puzzle piece to the pile I've got about the girl. How much did she learn in the Yakuza, anyway?_ **Brie inwardly shrugged. _How should I know? Ah well, use what you've got, but question her sometime soon._ Kel nodded to herself, and sent the pair off, Fredrik stiff-backed at having to be accompanied by a girl.

_He's going to have to learn to work with women, _Brie remarked, rather smugly. **_Give the boy some slack,_** Kel protested. _**It's not like he's coming from somewhere- actually, maybe he is a bit thick-headed. I'm sure one of his relatives is a Scanran Shield-maiden. Ah well. **Exactly,_ Brie said, definitely smug now. Kel shrugged her off and went back to her papers. There was a knock at the door, and Kel opened it to see a palace messenger standing there. He bowed at the waist and presented a scroll.

"This humble servant is honored to present an invitation from the Most Honorable Imperial Majesty to yourself, Most Honorable Guest Keladry of Shang." Kel took the message and sent the messenger off with the proper formalities. A message from the emperor? For what? Kel broke the seal and made sure that she wasn't sitting under any windows or vents.

_To the Shang Phoenix:_

_You are most respectfully invited to this upcoming Banquet in three days to honor the incoming Tortallan ambassador, Baron Piers of Mindelan. Please bring your charges, suitably attired. Dress is elegant, Yamani style. The banquet is to be held in one week, in the Hall of Roses. We look forward to your attendance. _

_His Imperial Majesty, _

_Nokoru Imonoyama_

_Postscript- Alright, now that the formalities are over, I'd like you to come. We'll take the banquet and ball as opportunity to introduce you formally to the Palace. I would like to inform you that your status will be released, as well as all your responsibilities. To make sure that you will not be too alarmed, we have listed them here :_

_Keladry Shang Phoenix, Second-in-Command of the Imperial Seat, Member of the Imperial Council, Imperial Armsmaster, Commander of the Elite Guard, Emperor's Adviser, High Guard of the Swords, and Landowner of several small provinces in the Yanjing Island belt. You are second only to myself, and therefore can make any decisions valid within the borders of the law. Please send your assistants' profiles to my Seneschal, and their announcements shall be taken care of. In respect to the ambassador, the banquet will be held in the Rose Hall and it's accompanying terrace and gardens. I am fully aware that Baron Piers is your father- but be assured that no one else does. I do my searches quietly and efficiently. You are free to recognize him as such, and don't worry about assasins or danger. My guards have this place locked up tight. The magic-barriers are impossible to cross, I have King Jonathan's work woven in with my defenses as a sign of our union. Feel free to drop by my chambers anytime soon. Just show the guards this token, and you'll be led to me. Don't worry, I have the time. _

_-N.I. _

Kel stared at the paper. As she finished reading, the red ink stamp at the bottom of the page solidified into a gold token the size of a coin, with the emperor's seal on it. As she tucked it into her belt pocket, she absently fiddled with the paper of the note. Her mind whirled with the list of titles bestowed on her. All that importance on her shoulders! She was second-in-command to the emperor; her word was virtually lawg. She was Training Armsmaster, leader of the Guard. It only made sense really, that the other Phoenixes had elected to stay in the Order after gaining their Token in their Ordeal. Court life was excruciating. Kel wasn't as sure of the emperor's safeguards as he seemed to be. There was always some way to get around a wall, magical or corporeal.

She shook the worry from her mind and decided to place a visit to the emperor's chambers. After all, he did have the time.


	21. Emperor

Chapter 21: Emperor

Kel dressed herself in a maroon kimono whirling with white clouds, and arranged her hair into the more recent style of the Court. The two chopsticks that held her hair in place were razor sharp, hidden in hair-thin metal sheets and accurate enough to kill a fly at twenty paces. Her shukusen was tucked into her bronze obi, and two daggers were concealed in her kimono, while one was tucked in a thin sheath neatly down her spine, and another was placed in one of her sleeves, so that it could be whipped out at a moment's notice. The semi-decorative belt knife at her hip was coated in Widow's Kiss, a deadly poison extracted from spidren venom. Though she didn't feel truly safe without her naginata or sword, Kel left her rooms and set off for the Emperor's chambers.

She had left Fredrik, Akane, and Tatsuya in the care of the imperial armsmasters, with an afternoon free to do what they wished. They were all given very small allowances from Kel's treasure hoard and most probably would set out for the craftsmans' district at the end of the day. Kel herself had left all her unnecessary jewels at her rooms, going unadorned to not attract attention. A pair of pearl ear bobs were her only decorations. She had left her face unpowdered and her cheeks unpainted. Kel hated that kind of court life- the make-up, as some people called it. It deserved the name, though, thought Kel absently as she strode through the halls. Her mind brought attention to her quick pace.

Yamani women did not stride, they… pattered. Their sock-shoes and kimonos were designed, almost, with immobility in mind. Kel had hers specially slit so that she could run and fight in her kimono without having to cut it with her sword. The servants, thoroughly Yamani, didn't express their distaste visually, but Kel could somehow feel it just radiate off their bodies like heat off of a fevered patient multiplied tenfold. She slowed her walk to a reasonable pace and took several side-halls to get to one of the emperor's rooms. He lived in one wing of the palace, along with his wife and chosen consorts. Kel didn't approve of it, but what could she say?

Kel was stopped at the large red paper door by a guard. He growled at her,

"What is your business with His Most Honorable Excellency, the Emperor?" Kel flashed him the token, and he nodded to his companion on the other side of the door. He opened it and led Kel inside.

"Follow me," he ordered. Kel followed him, warily taking note of all that happened around her. The halls were patrolled by pairs of Elite, while maids, clerks, and dressed-up women (the latter obviously concubines) could be seen in the open doors. After walking down the hallways, she and her guard came to another set of doors. These were simpler, but inscribed with spell-patterns and magic symbols. Kel was handed off to the guard there. Then she was led to another set of chambers, these more obviously delegated to the Emperor and his few Chosen concubines, as well as his wife. She stopped before a large white screen door. The guard bowed low to the ground and knocked at the frame.

There was an invitation to come inside called by the inhabitants within, and the door slid open. Kel's eyes set upon a small _shakkan_ garden, where sunlight filtered in to the Emperor's secret Tea Room and small flowers were in bloom. A low table sat in front of a fountain that trickled merrily, with four comfortable cushions ranged around it. Two men sat there- one bedecked in the fine garb of relaxed royalty, while the other was obviously a military leader, as shown by his armored garb and helmet, which was sitting on the table. The emperor dismissed the military man, and Kel took his seat when the emperor motioned for her to sit. As she knelt on the soft red cushion, she felt the oddest sensation.

The leather of her hidden dagger sheaths squirmed and tried to twist away from her body. When that didn't succeed, there was an unseen but audible "pop", and the weight of the daggers disappeared. Kel looked around and saw them on the table. All the while the squirming and wrenching were going on all over he body, wherever she had a hidden weapon. Her shukusen even followed her belt knife to the table, and soon all of her weapons were on display. Most of them, anyhow. Her chopsticks were still in her hair. She bowed to the emperor, whose eyes displayed a sort of condescending amusement, whipped out a chopstick, and hurled it, catching a lock of his hair and pinning it to the wall, where the severed strands slithered down and away to the floor.

Kel held her breath. The Emperor could, and probably would, call in guards to chop off her head now. She bowed to the ground and watched his face through her bangs. His lips tightened, quivered, then returned to Yamani blankness. Kel shuddered, inside. _We're in for it now, Kel, buddy, old pal. We are more dead than last year's Scanran pirates. **Brie? **Yes? **Shut up.** _The Emperor cleared his throat.

"Well, you've shown me, haven't you, Keladry?"

"Shown you what, Most Honorable Emperor?" At his laugh, Kel sat up abruptly, barely concealing the shock she felt on hearing him express emotion, let alone letting her live.

"However much I guard myself, there are ways to get around it. Hmm… You are a valuable asset to my Council, Keladry of the Shang. I am very glad you are my friend, and not my foe, or so I hope. Come, come, enjoy some excellent green tea. Tea and knowledge; those are the two things that go better with age." Kel adjusted herself to a more comfortable position on the cushion-mat, and pretended to sip delicately at the tea cup proffered. In reality she was examining it minutely and watching her bracelet. It didn't glow, so Kel felt it safe to drink. The emperor, however, caught her examination.

"Do not worry, Keladry, the tea is not poisoned. I myself am drinking it!" Kel gave a little chuckle, but her wariness didn't decrease. The tea was delicious, undeniably high-quality tea. She sipped gratefully and inclined her head towards the Emperor.

"Most Honorable Emperor-" she began. The man cut her off.

"Nonsense. I will be frank with you. Call me Imonoyama. It is ridiculous to even imagine that you are subservient to me." Kel was startled.

"Most Honorable Emperor! I am the least of your subjects-" His raised hand cut her off again.

"Keladry- Phoenix. You hold as much power as I do, when one looks at the scope of things. And yours is more widely ranged. You, if you wished, could manipulate at least three other countries to launch full-scale attacks on the Islands. Understand that your unspoken influence in peacekeeping in the countryside has all the province folk bristling for their unseen protector. You are my equal, and I prefer not to lie to myself and to you. It isn't becoming." Kel was dumbstruck.

"Most- Imonoyama-san, I am honored. May I be frank?" At his nod, Kel continued. "I really didn't understand the responsibility I've taken on until now. Now I see what you mean by us being equals. If that's true, then… I need to ask a favor." The emperor nodded. "Well, I need a Yamani name. Something I can use in court and with foreign dignitaries so that my Tortallan name doesn't leak. My informants tell me that my rejection years ago is still remembered by those in the Tortallan court. I'd rather hold influence as a neutral party. I'd rather not go through the black market channels to get myself a new identity." The emperor nodded.

"It shall be done. I need your desired name." The emperor motioned, and out of nowhere a scribe appeared with a brush, ink, and roll of parchment.

"Suzumi Baura." The emperor nodded again and began speaking rapidly.

"You, Suzumi Baura, stowaway on the Tortallan merchant ship _Dawnfire_. Left in Yama's temple in the Yanjing province, you were raised by the priestesses for six months before the Shang Hawk took you to the Order, and you gained in rank until reaching the rank of Phoenix. So it is written, so shall it be done." The scribe was quickly writing it as he went on. The emperor sealed the document and waved at the scribe.

"Take this to my Chambers and don't let me forget about it." Kel was somewhat astounded. He acted so… familiar with his staff…

"Imonoyama-sempai?"

"Yes, Baura-chan?" Kel glanced wryly at the Emperor for his use of the honorific.

"Well, you seem so at ease with your servants. I suppose in the years I stayed here in the Islands you seemed so imposing and cold."

"Ah, but that was only in Court. Protocol is different there."

"What about the forty guards you had beheaded for not using the proper bow?" The emperor chuckled, not pleasantly.

"That was the reason I used for the public execution. It helps to instill a sense of authority. No, they were beheaded because I discovered one thing about them."

"What was it, my lord?"

"They were all members of the Association of the Dragon." Kel stifled a choke. That was why the emperor couldn't give his real reason to the public. Just as the Order was secret, so was the Association.

"I see, most honorable emperor. I must ask you about this upcoming ball to receive the foreign dignitaries."

"Ah, yes, your mother and father, as well as your brother Anders." The emperor nodded thoughtfully. "Do you want to be presented as Suzumi Baura? They might find it an insult." Kel shook her head vehemently.

"No, Imonoyama-sempai. They would understand. It's just that… does anyone else know that I am related to them?"

"No. Do not worry yourself, Baura-chan. No one knows that you are Keladry of Mindelan. I tapped directly into the ancient tie that the Palace has with the order, and using a shallow dish of my blood I scryed into your doings and history there." Kel frowned slightly.

"So anyone who wanted to could see into the Order's doings?" The emperor shook his head.

"No- the ability to scry into such a link is only passed down from heir to heir, similar to the Bazhir traditions of the desert. The best medium to work through is Royal Blood, so that is what I used. The information to scry this cannot be forced from me willingly or unwillingly. Even if anyone watched me do this ritual of scrying and preparing the materials, they would not be able to produce such results. In fact, that person would encounter a nasty reality."Kel, relieved, asked,

"What sort of nasty reality?"

"Their life-force would either be drained away, or their Gift, or even they would be inextricably linked to this link, but their body would remain inert and comatose as the spirit is torn between reality and the linkage of the scrying. Eventually they would die." Kel shivered, part from the situations described, partly from the cold, detached, and satisfied manner in which the Emperor said it.

"Anyhow, no one should be able to even scry me here in my Chambers unless I will it. So, any more questions?" Kel nodded.

"I wanted to know… Who are my family's escorts?" The emperor scratched his head thoughtfully.

"Well, I heard that the Crown Prince was planning on coming, along with his escort Lord Imrah, but I'm not quite sure of that. They haven't sent a response to my query, and it's hard to establish a magical connection between here and Tortall… Speaking of connections, I have something to give you…" The Emperor turned around and hurried from the Tea Room, then stopped and beckoned for Kel to follow him. Kel hurriedly wiped the corner of her mouth of green tea, put down her cup, and stood quickly, struggling against the sudden ascending-headiness. When the multicolored dots cleared from her vision, she followed the emperor down the hallway.

Kel was definitely confused. The Emperor was an imposing figure, gray streaks just now flaring back from his temples, with his square-cut beard trimmed neatly to shape. His head was covered with a simplified version of the Imperial Crown, easy enough to wear while walking to and from rooms of the Palace, bejewled enough for people to recognize him as emperor, and cheap enough to be thrown into the muck in a fight, if need be. His flowing robes of the nobility were a deep scarlet, embroidered with gold and the finest silk thread. He carried importance around him like a cape. The emperor striding through these halls was different from the one she had sipped tea with. Now that cape of importance was wrapped as tightly around him as a burial shroud. His easy demeanor and humorous attitude were now concealed under a hard shell of Yamani etiquette. Kel followed along silently. Suddenly a thought occurred to her. _**This is how I am, when I'm in public, now, isn't it?** It certainly is, _replied Brie. _**This is how every dignitary is in public… The Empress, the Emperor, the Tortallan King and Queen… **Yes, now you see the life of the nobility, Keladry. A life hidden behind chilly masks of court political dances and etiquette. **Oh no, now what have I gotten myself into? **Don't worry, Keladry. I have faith in you. _

Kel fell inwardly silent, as did Brie, until they reached their destination. These were the private rooms of the Emperor himself. Here was his absurdly simple sleeping mat, his low writing desk, his fine silk cushions, all simple, yet of the highest quality. He opened a cabinet behind his writing desk. It was similar to the one in the Phoenix's suite at the Order; inside was an elegant suit of Yamani armor. From beneath and behind the samurai sword-rest, he took a small box. He touched his lips to the brass lock and traced out a set of swirling spell-symbols on the unmarked, unfinished wood. There was a faint glitter, and the box was transformed. It was now made of the finest mahogany with inlaid gold. He opened it to reveal-

Nothing. The box was empty as he held it out to Kel. A faint shadow lined the inside, but besides air, there was nothing in it that Keladry could see. He chuckled at her confused look in her eyes. He quickly put the box on the table, grabbed a quill-sharpening knife out of thin air, seemingly, and sliced Kel's index finger as she drew it to herself, all before she could blink. Holding her wrist in an iron grip, he let a few drops drip into the box. There was a cheeping sound, and suddenly the shadow in the box liquefied and condensed into a quivering form. Before Kel sat a darking.

Kel was annoyed and slightly panicked. The reason she had not responded to the emperor's quick maneuvers, even though she had seen them coming, was because she didn't know what to do. If she had struck the emperor himself, gods know what could have happened. She got over her astonishment quickly and studied the small darking as intently as it studied her. It cheeped once more and began to speak in a wavering voice, as a head and tiny mouth distinguished themselves from the darking as a whole.

"Inkjet is called by the blood of a mortal… why do you bleed, and why do you call?" it asked, seeming, for all the world, indignant. The emperor spoke.

"By a pact made by your people and myself in my youth, I have been promised the assistance and alliance of four of your kind."

"I have been called from the Dragonlands, I admit, by the alliance of my ruler. What is your need?" Kel wisely kept quiet throughout the exchange.

"I have called for your help, as a mentor and guide to my equal and ally, Keladry of Mindelan, Suzumi Baura, Shang Phoenix, if you so will it. If not, then I shall call for another of your kind. But the working was supposed to match the darking whose temperament is most compatible with the person whose blood is shed. But I will not forcefully coerce you." The darking, if at all possible, seemed to laugh.

"Wise of you, human, and what pretty eloquence. I am happy to leave the Dragonlands and be your ally, Phoenix. Much is said and discussed in the Divine Realms that pertains to you. For a mortal, you stir up much controversy and sensation. What say you?" Kel was taken aback.

"I- I thank you for your friendship and alliance, Inkjet." The darking nodded.

"Then that is that." He slid down the table leg and up to Kel's shoulder. Kel found his upward movement somewhat distracting. It was like watching a raindrop roll up a window, instead of down. He perched himself comfortably on her shoulder.

"This will do as a comfortable perch, I think. Just a moment." Suddenly Kel felt a jarring pain in the back of her neck, like someone was pressing hot needles into the base of her skull. Rapidly the pain spread until it felt as if her brain was being prodded into little pieces by miniature white-hot fire pokers. And just as suddenly as it had started, the pain stopped. Kel shook her head as the another voice now whispered in her head. .:_Hello, Keladry:. **Oh no! Not another one! **.:Another what?:. **Another voice! **.:What do you mean, Phoenix? Do you need to go to a Mind Healer?: **No! I don't need a Mind Healer- I need all of you people out of my head! **.:What are you talking about?: She's talking about me. .:Excuse me, who is this?:. Let me explain._

All of a sudden, the last ten years of Kel's life roared through her brain and into the entity of the small voice, the darking called Inkjet. The pain and pressure was unbearable. Kel frantically fought off rising wave after wave of nausea as images, sounds, and feelings ripped through her body. Every muscle of her body suddenly cramped tightly, and Kel tried to wince with pain, but that only hurt more. She finally gave up fighting off the blackness at the edges of her vision and gave in, falling to the ground of the Emperor's chambers with a soft moan. And finally, blackness enveloped her in its comforting embrace.


	22. Swords!

Chapter 22: Swords! Swords! Swords!

Kel woke up after her meeting with the Emperor in her own rooms. She asked the darking beside her,

"How did I get here?" The small black creature squeaked its laugh.

"You were carried. Four large burly men, armed to the teeth, carrying a foreigner woman. It was interesting." Kel made a face at the darking and then turned inward. _**Brie? You okay? **As okay as I'll ever be, thanks to your frailty. **Excuse me? **Just kidding. Sorry about that mental overload. Next time I'll do it while you sleep, so you don't disgrace yourself like that. **Gods…**_ Kel decided to try something new. **_Inkjet?_** She asked tentatively, opening her mind to the alien sensations. _.:You called?:.** That- that fiery sensation- was that you binding your mind to mine? **.:Yes. It is a thing my kind learned in the Dragonlands. I am an accomplished mage amongst my people.:.** Oh. My thanks, then, I guess. What time is it?**_

The darking beside her slid over to the window.

"It is just past dawn." Kel sat up from her pillows.

"How long have I been sleeping?" Brie internally chuckled. _Just one night, Kel. Calm down. _"I've got to check on Akane and Tatsuya, and Fredrik!"

"Check on whom, Lady Kel?" asked a wry voice from the doorway. Kel saw Akane standing there, with Fredrik and Tatsuya behind her.

"Ah- there you are…" Kel flushed a faint pink. "Well, I just wanted to find you to tell you that we're going to- to- shop today." Akane's face twisted into something reminiscent of a grimace.

"Shopping? As in, flowers and clothes and food?" Kel grinned fiendishly.

"Of course not! As in swords, and armor, and weapons!" Akane's face lit up, as did those of the boys behind her.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?"

Kel looked to Akane.

"How do we get to Erigawa street again?" Akane squinted at the street sign.

"Well, take a left here, a right two blocks down, and we're there. Or-" Kel looked at her sharply.

"Or what?" Akane made a face and pointed down.

"Or we could take the Yakuza tunnels." Kel looked around the busy streets.

"Lets go." Tatsuya frowned and scratched his chin.

"Well, we're not officially Yakuza now…" Kel shook her head.

"No, you aren't. But what are the chances of us running into someone who knows that? Jin Lee probably doesn't want the others to know that he lost to me and sold you to me. He won't let it be well-known. Don't worry. We can take on whoever's in there easy enough, if they choose to resist." Fredrik shrugged.

"Well, lets get on with it, then."

Kel padded along the dank and stale corridor, Tatsuya, Fredrik, and Akane behind her. Akane pointed up at a ladder that ascended into the surface.

"Here we are. I don't know if this runs up into an opium den, so be ready." Kel took a quick breath into her mouth, climbed the ladder, and pushed open the trapdoor. The room inside was hazy with smoke. Kel held her breath until blackness crept up on her, but had to take another breath. Breathing through her sleeve, she passed the walls filled with drugged and catatonic opium smokers. A man leered up at the group from the floor.

"Weeelll helllooo, pretty ladddiiiee," he slurred/gasped. "Waannt a leeeettle?" he asked, holding out a pipe. Kel hurried on to the other end of the room. All around her were people sleeping in recesses in the wall, drugged and oblivious. Kel was already more than slightly light headed from the smoke. She hurried up a second ladder to another trapdoor, this one leading to an actual trinket shop. Now she was on ground level, crouching behind a gold-leaf statue of the Goddess. The shopkeeper, who doubled as the opium den owner, was sitting behind the front counter and counting money. Kel heard,

"…seven mon, eight mon, nine mon…" Tatsuya edged up beside her and peered out at the shop. The walls were covered in shelves of old books, scrolls, statues, and broken instruments. It was a pawn shop. He grinned.

"I know exactly how to get us out of here. Akane, shall we pull the Goddess illusion?" Akane grinned, baring her teeth.

"Definitely, brother. Lady Kel, watch this. And on my signal, get as low to the floor as you can and get out the door. We'll follow." Kel nodded curtly to Akane and pulled Fredrik up the ladder so he could crouch alongside her in the shadow of the Goddess statue and a nearby shelf. Tatsuya motioned for quiet as his hands began to glow with a red-gold light. Kel was startled. This was the first time that she had seen anyone with a metallic Gift, outside of Immortals. Suddenly a rogue wind blew into the shop, knocking over anything lighter than a sack of gold coins. The shopkeeper stood and grumbled, then went to the door and shut it. The wind continued to whirl around the room, however, picking up small books and papers and tossing them in a series of small whirlwinds. Suddenly, all of the light was sucked out of the room. Kel was startled. There was a faint glow from the statue of the Goddess, then suddenly the chipped gold leaf shone blindingly. Kel heard a voice speaking from all around, saying,

"Opium master-" The man fell to the ground, weeping in terror.

"Pull down your walls of your opium den. Leave this sordid business, lest you be cast into Hell!" The wind howled and the voice got louder, reminiscent of a roaring echo in a canyon of water crashing through rocks.

"But I need the money, Goddess, to pay off my debts and support my ailing wife!" The voice rose.

"Then you shall have it. Tear down your den and come closer to my likeness." The man crept forward, his face to the ground. Kel and Fredrik crept out the door, leaving it open just a crack. Suddenly there was a flare of light that blinded Kel and Fredrik, and the room returned to normal, with everything where it was supposed to be. Tatsuya and Akane slid out the door, leaving the weeping shopkeeper on the ground, clutching something.

"Lady Kel, I left him our share of money, if you don't mind. For him, this is enough to pay for the den, the shop, and the opium he has hidden in his trinket boxes." Akane shrugged after Tatsuya stopped speaking.

"Well, that was a fantastic example of the things we used to do in tandem to get money or force people to pay. Usually we use a statue of a person's ancestor to reflect the light off of, but the Goddess statue just called out to us." Kel nodded.

"Well, good job, you two. Inkjet?" The darking uncoiled itself from the hilt of her belt-knife.

"Yes, Baura-san?" She pointed at the Palace, now mostly obscured by buildings and smoke from breakfast-fires.

"Could you please go to my rooms and bring back two pouches of gold and platinum? They are in the chests I showed you earlier." The small darking nodded, then vanished. Just a few seconds later he came back into being, now with two pouches. Kel gratefully took them from him and handed them to Akane and Tatsuya.

"This is your spending money for today, and indefinitely. Make sure to make it last. First things first, however. We are going to visit the emperor's Armorer." Fredrik frowned.

"His armorer is in the Palace!" Kel nodded.

"The official one is, but the one who really makes the original weapons owns a shop here on Erigawa Street. There it is." Kel led the way into a forge that was obviously well cared-for. Three people were working in the shop, hazy outlines against the smoke that filled the room. Kel rapped hard on the doorframe.

"I've been sent," she began, "by a Most Important Imperial customer." One of the figures left the anvil it was at and came forward, wiping its hands on its apron. Kel was the only one of the group not startled to see that the armorer was a centaur.

Graceful yet broad, the centaur smith had Yamani features, with shiny black hair and huge tanned muscles. He smiled at Kel and her group.

"I am Master Smith Bloodhoof. Ah, from our Most Important Imperial customer- I assume you mean Nokoru-san?" The name was rather common, it could be used in public.

"Yes indeed," Kel replied. "I've come to outfit myself and my charges with a suitable and formidable weapons rack. We need armor as well." The centaur nodded.

"Do you want it functional, or do you want it looking pretty as well?" His voice held no trace of mockery. Kel shook her head.

"I'd like two suits apiece, please. Your best work. I'm willing to pay anything it costs. Three people, six suits. One suit for prettiness, but still functional, and one for good old field work. Could you do that?" The centaur laughed.

"Certainly! Now I need measurements and your suits should be ready in a week." Kel was surprised.

"A week? That's rather quick, don't you think?" The centaur shook his head.

"Not at all. I've the best of help here, you see. Meet my assistants, Trothain Stonebeard and Elianaitha Sunarrow." From the shadows stepped his two assistants, one tall and graceful, the other short and stocky. Two pairs of eyes surveyed the newcomers. On the left was Trothain, a mountain dwarf carrying a large hammer. On the right was Elianaitha, a graceful Elf woman with tight, obviously well developed muscles. Both were streaked with soot and smiled toothily at Kel's group, then got back to work. The centaur, Bloodhoof, explained.

"Those two are Master Smiths in their own rights. We've been working together ever since we sailed here from beyond the Islands. Don't worry, you won't find work better than us anywhere. We've got incredible time, you see. There is a reason we are the best. Plus we haven't worked on armor recently, all the work we're getting is for replacement weapons and fixing jewelry. Ugh!" Kel grinned and pushed forward her three charges.

"Here is Akane, Tatsuya, and Fredrik. I leave it to your discretion to the style of the armor. Tortallan or Yamani, it doesn't matter to me. Perhaps a new style?" she added slyly. The centaur scratched his hairless chin.

"Hmm… You, boy, you are a magic-user?" Tatsuya nodded. He turned to Akane.

"And you- you're good at long-range weapons and hand-to-hand." She nodded. Finally, the centaur turned to Fredrik.

"You- Scanran boy. You work with swords?" Fredrik nodded and stood a little straighter. Bloodhoof smiled and motioned to his assistants.

"Sunarrow, Stonebeard, we need beeswax molds of these young ones, now. I have extra strips in the warming room. Sunarrow, get the girl, Stonebeard, take the swordsboy, and I'll take the mage. Lady- I didn't catch your name…" he said, turning to Keladry.

"I never gave it," she said. "Suzumi Baura, at your service. Don't mind with a suit of armor for me, I'm covered. Though I could use a few weapons. Let me look at your racks." Bloodhoof nodded and pointed to the nearby room.

"The weapons racks are in there. Go ahead and look, then later we'll go over weapons for your charges. You three are to stay in here. Take off your outer layers of clothing. Leave only your undershirts and breeches. We'll be back." With that, the centaur disappeared into the room his two assistants had entered. Kel wandered into the other room and waved at her three students.

"Go on, don't bother with me. Do anything that Master Bloodhoof says, alright?" Fredrik glowered at her as he pulled off each boot. Tatsuya sighed and got to work on removing his outer jacket-shirt, and Akane was already standing in her shirt and breeches, with her other clothes and concealed weapons in a large pile behind her. Kel smiled sunnily at them all again and began to minutely examine Bloodhoof's other wares.

Soon Bloodhoof and his assistants entered with large strips of warm beeswax, which they wrapped around each appendage of the three students. Fredrik stood stolidly throughout the whole thing, while Tatsuya grimaced and held still. Akane, however, had the most interesting, and frightening of the reactions. She jerked away as the wax covered her arm, lightly molding itself to her skin. With a visible effort of will she stood still as the wax was molded to the rest of her arms and legs. When it covered her back and chest, she shuddered. Suddenly, when her pelvis was encased, she let out a small whimper and cringed away from further contact, her eyes showing her barely concealed panic. She gasped for breath frantically in shallow inhalations. Kel strode in.

"Quickly- take off the wax!" The startled Elf woman did so, carefully and efficiently, and Akane calmed, a trickle of sweat sliding down one pale cheek. Tatsuya's face was tight, his fists clenched. His mouth was compressed into a straight line across his face, and his jaw was locked firmly. Bloodhoof took notice and removed the wax from him, piece by piece. The Elf woman, Elianaitha, slipped out of the room and returned with two mugs of cold water from a recessed stone well. Tatsuya quickly gulped his down, some of the water splashing down his shirt and onto his skin. Akane, more controlled this time, drank thirstily but neatly. Stonebeard finished up with Fredrik, and he joined the pair on the bench. Bloodhoof carried off the pieces of wax carefully and quickly to a cooling room, and Sunarrow fetched water for Fredrik. The three donned their clothes once more and followed Kel into the room of weapons.

Kel was amazed at Bloodhoof's ability. Any weapon in the world was on the racks, with expert craftsmanship carved into each of them. Under the pommel, guard, or grip of each weapon, there was stamped the emblem of Bloodhoof and his assistants, a centaur print on a four-pointed star. Kel took down a glaive and hefted it. Its balance was perfect- just like the glaive she had at home. Questioningly, she pulled at the semi-closed door of a nearby weapons cabinet. Akane hurried to Kel's side to look closer. Revealed were racks of shuriken, kunai, sais, and every other Yamani throwing weapon, as well as other countries'. Akane picked up a shuriken then turned with blinding speed. The metal flashed once before it was embedded in the rough painted target on the wall. The target was already marred with such scars. Akane nodded in satisfaction and pulled it out, dusted it off carefully, and set it back in the rack.

"I see that you enjoy using my weapons," said Bloodhoof from the doorway. Kel nodded.

"I'd like to see that Akane be outfitted with a good number of throwing weapons, as well as-" Kel turned to Akane. "Do you use sais?" The girl nodded, saying,

"I had a pair until they broke while in an ambush. They were my best weapons to work with, but they were too expensive."

"Well then," Kel said, "We'll take two pairs of sais, suited to Akane's build. As for Fredrik, well…" Bloodhoof looked the boy over critically.

"He would do best with double blades." Kel arched an eyebrow.

"Well then, Fredrik, do you know the use of two blades at once?" The young man scratched his head.

"Yes I have. I was trained in all different types of bladework." Kel turned back to Bloodhoof.

"Well, you heard it. We'll take any and all swords types you find appropriate. But, as you say, definitely double blades, a traditional set of Yamani swords, and a Tortallan longsword for sure." Bloodhoof nodded.

"I need to take more of those two's measurements. But what of the Gifted?" he asked.

"He could do with a large number of weapons similar to his sisters, but not as many. He will be equipped with magical apparatus. Do you know where a good shop is?" Bloodhoof nodded.

"Two blocks down you'll see the Black Tree tavern. Go to the owner, say that Bloodhoof sent you, and you'll be admitted to the best magical armory in the Islands, if not the world." Kel bowed.

"_Arigato gozaimas,_ Master Bloodhoof. Oh- I was wondering if you could do anything with this…" Kel pulled out her longsword, which had been strapped to her waist. Bloodhoof examined it closely.

"Good craftsmanship… Finest steel… but we can make it better. I need to examine your arm and height, Baura-sama. I'm going to replace the blade." Kel was startled.

"The blade?" Bloodhoof nodded.

"We don't use steel here, or any other human metal. Oh, we do use it, but in carefully measured amounts in our special metal synthesis. A lot of the metal we produce is made in the ways of the Immortals, which is why our craftsmanship is so valued. Suffice it to say, star-metal is what we use, the strongest and lightest of any material known to man or Immortal. We simply advance upon its natural advantages. So, you'll never find anything better, and I'm not boasting. But lots of people don't know what this metal is like, so they believe it is poor-quality at first look. You'll also notice that none of the weapons here are bejeweled. Yes, we do some inlays and finer work, but the crowning insult, to me, is a bejeweled sword. It is like putting rubies on a carpenter's saw. Why do you make something look tawdry and cheap by pasting gems on it? If a weapon is truly great, it shows without the frippery." Kel nodded in agreement.

"Like people," she replied thoughtfully. Bloodhoof nodded.

"Exactly. Now, lets see, Baura-san."

After all the measurements and arrangements Kel made, the five of them left the shop. It was midday. Kel heard someone's stomach rumble loudly. When she glanced around her party, she saw that Fredrik was glancing innocently at the sky and tightening his belt loop another notch. Kel grinned and looked around.

"Well, I think that we should head for the Black Tree tavern. I heard from Bloodhoof that along with a magical arsenal, they have fantastic Tortallan food there. I feel a bit peckish, myself." When she heard relieved agreement, they all started down towards the Black Tree.

Kel opened the door into the common room of the Black Tree. It was definitely run by someone not Yamani. The long tables were well-hewn oak, polished to gleaming. The benches were sprinkled with all sorts of people on their midday break, and some not people. Rather, there was a basilisk, a pair of centaurs, two Stormwings, and several small nymphs reclining in the potted plants. The basilisk was comfortably munching on several dark rocks that glittered faintly even from afar, and the centaurs were in a polite, even cordial conversation with the Stormwings. The nymphs flitted around the female centaur, braiding her hair and tail. Kel and her party took their seats at a table close to the Immortals. The tavern was subtly divided into two areas- one for humans, and one for Immortals. The space for Immortals had a higher roof, for one, and different types of furniture. The basilisk was reclining on an oaken couch-bed with many small cushions, while the centaurs leaned at a table that was enhanced for their height. The Stormwings were perched on a thick wood bar that was extending from the wall. Something was different about these Stormwings, Kel noticed. Fredrik pointed it out to her quietly.

"They're clean and clothed, those Stormwings," he murmured. Kel nodded thoughtfully. The two Stormwings, one male and female, were clean and washed, wearing a kind of shirt-covering that wrapped around their wings and left their torsos covered. One of them, the male, chuckled, ruffling his bronze feathers and adjusting his position. Kel was startled. This was the oddest tavern she had ever been in. Here were Immortals, dining without any argument with the human element of the tavern, and enjoying themselves as well. A waitress came over, buxom and red-headed, definitely Tortallan. When she spoke, however, it was in fluent, if a bit accented, Yamani.

"What can I get you good folks?" Kel looked around and saw the tavern's menu posted on several large slates on the wall.

"Well, we haven't decided yet, but we could use four bottles of cold sake and a tankard of your best ale for this youth." She looked at Fredrik, who smiled. The maid winked, nodded, and walked off. Kel, Akane and Tatsuya, and Fredrik all chose what they wanted, and when the waitress returned for their orders, Tatsuya told her what they wanted.

"We'll take two platters of spiced potatoes, a teriyaki bowl, some udon noodles, and a bowl of yakisoba." Altogether, it was an odd, but delicious combination. Kel and Fredrik enjoyed the potatoes, while Akane and Tatsuya ate the teriyaki and udon. Everybody shared the yakisoba. After Kel finished off her small cup of sake, she paid the waitress and left her a generous tip. After that, she sought out the owner of the Black Tree. Finally a waiter pointed them into an office off of the main room. Kel knocked, and when a scratchy voice declared,

"Enter," the four of them trooped in. What Kel saw amazed her beyond belief. She heard the faint scrape of metal as Fredrik grabbed the hilt of his belt-knife and two shuriken appeared in Akane's hands. For there, behind the desk, sat a spidren.

A/N-

I'm so sorry I haven't updated in forever. falls to the floor, bowing. Forgive me! How about this- ask any question about the story so far, or even of myself, and I'll answer them in the next Author's Note, next chapter.

3, Lana


	23. Clothes!

Disclaimer- I do not own any of the original characters; they are all the work of Tamora Pierce. Seriously- how could I come up with stuff like that!?

Chapter 23: Clothes?! Aww!!

The spidren clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. All four of the humans were standing there placidly, watching him as he watched them. The red-headed giant gripped his belt-knife with white knuckles. The slim Yamani girl held two throwing stars, and the boy who was her twin was reaching surreptitiously for something, probably magical, in his belt pouch. The only one who stood there in total calm was the tallest girl, strong and sun-freckled, with her hair cut short.

"Greetings," he said. "I am called Arr'kas, in your tongue. What is it you wish?" The brown-haired girl bowed respectfully, and after a moment, the others did too. As it was difficult for Arr'kas to bow in the traditional Yamani manner, he inclined his head at the group. The brunette spoke.

"I am Suzumi of the Shang, and these are my pupils…"

After the introductions had finished and all four humans were seated comfortably, Arr'kas scratched his chin with a foreleg.

"Well, from whom were you sent?" The one called Keladry answered, obviously the leader.

"Master Smith Bloodhoof sent us, Arr'kas-san." The spidren nodded curtly, brushing a lock of burnished-bronze hair back from his forehead.

"Then follow me." The spidren pushed his rolling chair away from the table and got to his feet. All three pairs of them. His forelegs gestured quickly, and suddenly the wall behind him faded away to reveal another room separated by a screen. He pushed the screen to one side and beckoned for them to follow him.

Kel was amazed. Lining the walls were Gifted objects of every sort. She concealed her surprise behind her immoveable mask, but her amazement was reflected in the expression of Tatsuya. Obviously he had been plunged into his version of heaven. He hesitantly walked towards a shelf of books. His hands swiftly darted over their spines, as if the row of books were the side of a large cat. Suddenly, his fingers stopped, his face a quickly-concealed expression of surprise. With closer inspection, his fingers seemed tangled in a piece of string that extended from the edge of the spine. Arr'kas looked over. He nodded, and to the others, appeared to speak to the book.

"Finally! Is this the one you wish for as a pupil?" The book suddenly slid out of its niche and into Tatsuya's hand. Arr'kas nodded firmly.

"Well then," he said, turning his fore-section to Tatsuya. "Open it. Read us what's inside." Tatsuya flipped open the book's cover to the title page.

"The Mastery of the Arts, by- this is my name! How did this get here? I've never written a book!" His voice trailed off into uncertainty. Arr'kas nodded again.

"That's yours, alright. Since he's finally chosen you, there's no point in separating you. Go ahead, its yours. I'll be glad he's gone. He's been causing trouble for the other magical books in here. Being oldest, he can be a bit crotchety." Akane quirked one eyebrow.

"'He'? Can this book think? What exactly is this _Mastery of the Arts_?" she asked bluntly. Arr'kas beckoned them further into the room.

"A book containing specific knowledge passed through the centuries. Only a few people can read each book- the people whose magic the book's is best tuned to. _Mastery_'s been here for decades. Nobody was compatible. Because each person who contributed to the book sacrificed some of their essence into it as well, each book has a sort of melting-pot personality. Trust me, that's why I keep the Scanran books on the other side of the shelf from the others, between two book-holders. It can get really nasty if it sets its pages to it." Tatsuya shook his head in wonder, but continued to hold onto the book. Arr'kas continued.

"You, boy, will be gradually bonded to the book. Soon you may be able to communicate your feelings and maybe a few thoughts. You must make sure that you don't let the book take ahold of you, though. Last time that happened, a young Gifted mage plunged headfirst into a group of raiding Scanrans and blew them all up, including some of himself while he was at it. Poor mage got both legs amputated, and a big chunk taken out of his arm." Tatsuya grimaced.

"I'll take your warning to heart, Master Arr'kas." He clutched the book closer to his chest. Akane gave her brother an unreadable gaze. His eyes flickered from side to side, then his expression settled into Yamani blankness. This swift "conversation" was not lost on Kel, and she resolved to find out more about the twins later on.

At the back of the room were racks with magical weapons and staffs. Tatsuya was drawn to a rack of six staffs. Two were maple wood, one was cherry, one was ebony, and the last two were oak. The ebony one was the one that attracted Tatsuya's attention. About five feet and a half tall, it was capped not by a stone or gem. Instead, the head of the wood broke into several tendrils of dark wood that were tangled together and coated in bronze. It looked like a clump of bronze thornbush had been stuck unceremoniously onto the top of the otherwise austere staff. Arr'kas nodded his permission to Tatsuya, and the young man reached his fingers out and curled them around the staff.

"That will be 25 platinum." Kel was rather taken aback by the price, but without a word she handed the spidren the money. It was quite obvious that Tatsuya was in his personal state of high bliss. When she asked Tatsuya if he wanted anything else, he shook his head no. As they were leaving the magical stores, Fredrik leaned in close to Kel's ear.

"Why won't you get us enchanted weapons?" Kel nodded bleakly, not surprised that it was Fredrik who asked.

"I understand why you ask. I want you to survive of your own prowess. Not because of a magical sword or shield. That, in essence, would be cheating. Also, magic is relatively easy to twist around. I don't want your weapon exploding in your hand. That would be rather detrimental to your cause in a fight." Fredrik nodded, but a glint of unhappiness flickered in his eyes still. Kel shook her head mentally. He would understand eventually.

They thanked Master Arr'kas profusely, and they left the Black Tree. Kel took an abrupt turn into the clothing district of the city.

"So- lets do some proper shopping!" Her pupils stifled groans. Kel laid it out for them in terms they would see as strategic.

"Do you really think that we could all walk into a banquet or state ball in a full set of plate armor? For one, it would be unsufferably rude to the host, implying that you don't trust them or their sense of judgement with respect to their security. Also, one doesn't want to imply that they are a brute of war. We'll be outfitting you with clothing that the Empress would envy. And don't worry. I'm paying. And it'll only take a few minutes, right?" With a few muttered grumbles, the group continued on.

After a substantial amount of walking, the group reached a weaver's shop that looked promising, to Kel's eye. The outside was plain and rather humble, compared to some of the extravagant signs on the other shop doors, but this one had a string of garlic in the shape of a rough triangle on the door-frame, just below the wooden sign. That meant that the weaver/tailor outfitted the Emperor himself. Kel and her group entered.

The shop's interior seemed roughly Tortallan. There were tall racks from which varied cloths hung, as well as finished products for the hurried buyer. A woman sat behind a counter in the back of the shop, so that Kel and her pupils had to wind through the clothing racks to get her. The woman looked up from her sewing. Kel approached the counter and leaned casually on it.

"The garlic this year is excellent, is it not, Madame Shopkeeper?" Kel asked, the proper first introduction for a person sent by the Emperor or one of his close aides, looking for top-notch business. The woman nodded sagely, her faintly-wrinkled brow clearing as she recognized the purpose of four obviously warrior-type people entering her shop.

"It most certainly is, Lady. Would you care to see my wares?" Kel nodded, and in a flurry of colored cloth and measuring ropes, the fun began.

It was late evening by the time that the fittings and color selections had finished. Fredrik's eyelids were drooping, and even Akane's feet dragged a little. Kel suppressed a grin. She led the way up to her "secret" servant entrance to the Palace. As the group separated for the night, Kel took hold of Akane's arm. The girl turned, face blank.

"I'd like to say that you and your brother are welcomed with open arms, and that I'd like to be your friend." Akane nodded, and looked at her feet, then looked up.

"I'd like to be yours as well, Lady Kel." Kel nodded.

"Then we've got to be open with each other- I mean, that 's what friends do, right? I don't want to press, but if there's anything you want to talk about…" Kel trailed off, then released the girl. Akane bowed slightly.

"I will remember that, thank you. Good night, Lady Kel." Kel bowed back in return.

"Good night, Akane."

The next few days whirled through Time excitedly. The week passed without any further incident. The day before the banquet, the clothes they had ordered arrived at Keladry's suite. When she had returned from a relaxing soak in the natural hot springs at the palace, she returned to her suite to find it a roiling mess of bright clothes and people. In reality, once Kel calmly ordered everyone to be silent, there was only the housekeeper and her two assistants. Clothes were laid out on her bed and any other flat surface, awaiting to be hung in her closet-room. The housekeeper looked harried.

"Baura-sama," she said, bowing to the floor. The two maids followed suit.

"Get up, please," she said, walking to her closet and flinging it open. The women hesitantly stood. To Kel's frustration, the closet was already stacked full of clothes. She shook her head.

"Pack all the things that are summer clothing in the trunks. Leave my dress clothes and other necessities, and go help my wards." Within a half hour, the room was cleared, with the addition of three large trunks in the corner. The housekeeper left, her assistants bowing as they accompanied her. Kel shook her head as she felt a pounding in her temples. She went to her cupboard in the corner and took out the things she needed for tea.

As the water heated, Kel sat at her desk to read reports. They had been sent from Kasumi, detailing the accounts of the Order and what had happened. Kel stared impassively at one note, written in complex code. When she had written it out normally, Kel read,

_Keladry-san,_

_I fear trouble is brewing in the ranks of the recruits. A young Gifted mage, who had been acting uncharacteristically rebellious and sullen, threw himself from the sea-cliff last week. When he was sent through the burial rites, the mark of the Association had been burned into his flesh. When an investigation was made, discreetly, of course, into his belongings, we found that he had been reporting his mundane actions to the Association. Of course, we had never promoted him, so he knew nothing important. And the magic of this place makes it impossible to tell anyone where it is. We assumed that he had been communicating by Stormwing to the Association. _

_In his personal journal it was revealed that his guilt was slowly driving him mad, as was his newly gained knowledge of the fact that he was slowly dying from a spell gone awry. Every dark of the moon he reports to his Stormwing messenger. What do you advise?_

The letter continued, but nothing as important as the Stormwing issue appeared. By now the throbbing in her head was exponentially increasing. The darking, Inkjet, came to her table and rolled up her arm to her neck. There it formed into a cool band about an inch wide, from which a small bump as the head formed.

"You are troubled," it said, it's small voice surprisingly wise-sounding. Kel dropped her Yamani mask and grimaced, rubbing her temples.

"I am. What do you think of this?" Kel showed him the letter. The darking was silent. Kel knew that it knew of her history, and therefore knew what was being discussed. She waited patiently.

"I think that you ought to leave a message for the Stormwing from the dead mage at the rendevous site and have someone with a similar Gift transport it there. To fend off essence spells, have someone make gloves from the dead man's clothing and use them to write on the paper. I'm sure that you have able-bodied forgers there, use their skills to reproduce his handwriting. Have someone who is ill write the note, so that the "mage" can say, 'I've fallen ill and cannot leave the boundaries,' truthfully. And make sure that all things in the note are true, but edited versions of the truth." The darking melted back into itself. Kel was astounded. She had heard tales of the darkings from Lady Daine, but she seemed to imply that they were naïve at times, but still incredibly sharp-witted. Inkjet seemed to be different.

"I haven't any idea what I would do without you, 'Jet," Kel said as she patted her "leather" necklace. Her brush dipped carefully into her inkwell as she began to write out what Inkjet had told her, in code. Soon all of her ink was nearly used up. Kel ground her ink-stick into her ink stone quickly. Soon the water became black ink. Kel used up two parchment scrolls in writing her reply. Meanwhile, the headache refused to stop. Inkjet, sensing her discomfort, prodded her at the nape of her neck. Its form was now more concrete. Kel, looking in a nearby mirror, suddenly thought of something. Pulling the chain from around her neck, she pushed it at the shiny band.

"Inkjet, I was wondering, if it was alright if you held this for me while you were in your necklace form. It would make sense that you would protect it more easily than a chain that could break." The darking lifted the necklace with a single tendril.

"Why certainly. Just a moment…" Suddenly, the chain slithered out of her hand.There was no other word for it- the darking _absorbed_ the pendant and chain. There were some curious twistings and once, a sharp prod as the darking settled itself. Then, when Kel looked in the mirror, she saw that within the wide black band was her pendant, at the exact middle of her neck. The chain, at the nape of her neck, was straight, and the excess was twisted into a complex design on either side of the pendant at her neck. Kel rubbed her thumb over the darking's nub of a head.

"Thank you- it looks fantastic." Just then, another headache-throb ripped through her brain and she winced. Inkjet tugged at her ear.

"That's it- we are going to the Healers, and there is nothing you can say about it." Kel grimaced, but acquiesced.

"To the Healers it is, then."

A/N- This chapter was originally going to include a part of the introductory ball, but I decided to spilt that part into two separate, whole chapters. My thanks goes out to everyone who has read up to this chapter. I am insanely honored to be able to write a story that appeals to all of you. I hope that you will continue to enjoy this story. Don't forget, I do have other ones, but they may take a bit longer to update. And so-

**Ayeala150**- You asked (whoa- I misspelled that three times) if Kel was going to Tortall again- She most definitely is. It's going to take up a good number of chapters as well. And Dom will be making an appearance wink

Thank you all for reading (Verekai- honestly! I love you to death, but- Get some rest! I'm not going anywhere… )!


	24. Preparations

CHAPTER 24: Preparations

The hallways were unusually busy today, the day before the ball. Kel threaded her way through a maze of ladies in waiting, manservants, guards, and messengers. It took her a good twenty minutes to get to the Infirmary, when it would usually take only ten. Her headache was pronounced now, throbbing like the beat of a war-gong in her head. Kel slid the paper door to the Infirmary wing open. Inside the air was cooler, scented with the faint twist of herbs from a windowsill pot. In the waiting room were two Yamanis, one holding a wad of cloth to a cut that bled over his eyebrow, and another who sat with her leg propped up, the ankle swollen to twice its size. The man looked to be a servant, while the woman was a lady in waiting. Apparently they had gotten the worse for wear in traversing the hallways. Kel sank down into a seat, holding her throbbing head.

Soon the two others were whisked from Kel's sight into the actual Healing-rooms, and Kel sat alone with the darking. Suddenly, cool fingers rested themselves on Kel's head. The headache dissipated, and Kel restrained a sigh of relief. She turned to the person behind her.

"My thanks, Master Hea-"

It was Marcus. Kel's eyelid flickered, her only outward expression. Inside, her heart was beating so quickly she was amazed that he couldn't hear it. He smiled at her, one eyebrow quirked. She continued to stare at him, her mind babbling.

_**What?How?TheroomissmallerthanIthoughtdeargodshe'swarmwhyonearthamIactingthiswayhowcanIfaceaspidrenmoreeasilythanIcanMarcusI'mgoingnutstheroomwaschillier,whyisitwarm**- KEL! SHUT UP! _Brie's amusedly annoyed voice broke through her confusion. Kel immediately stopped her mind voice, all while staring at Marcus. Now he fidgeted slightly, confused at her reaction, or lack thereof.

"Hello, Kel. Long time, no see," he said, his breath smelling faintly of mint. Kel mentally shook herself.

"Yes- of course- I mean, it has been." Kel kicked herself mentally again. That was the most idiotic thing she had said all day. He smiled and straightened from his bent-over position.

"Are you doing anything right now? I thought we might get some lunch. What do you say?" Kel actually thought this over. _**Hmm. Akane is at the Library, Tatsuya is with his magical Book, and Fredrik is with Nuriko. What do you say, Brie? **It's fine with me. And don't worry, I'll be your chaperone,_ she said wickedly. Kel made a mental face at her, and stood. Inkjet added his own comment. _.:So, this is what human females do when in love. I always thought it would be more flashy, with- oh, what is it called? Kissing. And lovemaking. Or are those two the same? Hm…:._ Kel shoved down her rising blush as Brie explained, in wickedly excruciating detail, the difference between lovemaking and kissing. She went to the door with Marcus, and walked through as he held it open for her. Noting her barely concealed pained expression, he asked,

"What's the matter? Did I miss some of the ache?" Kel gave a tiny, joking smile.

"You could say that… but don't worry. I don't really mind this kind of ache. It's like having little people talking in your head." Marcus quirked one eyebrow at her.

"Maybe you need more than just headache treatment… I always suspected as such, but I had never wanted to bring it up." He dodged Kel's playful blow as they walked down to the mess hall.

"So, where have you been all these years?" Kel asked Marcus. "I've received the occasional letter, but honestly, one can't describe Gandolia as a land of 'tall trees and talking apes'. It leaves a bit to be desired." She took another chopstick-full of her udon.

"Well, you know. We were rather busy, and I'm not really that poetic… And I figured you'd know all of this anyhow. You are with the Order. By the way, what exactly happened? You're here. Are you part of the Elite now? What's your sign?" He took a sip of tea. Kel thought frantically. _**Brie! What do I say?** Relax. Say that you're part of the Elite, because you know you are. As for your sign….:You can be the Shang Peacock. It may sound ridiculous, so you can hesitate before you say it. And if he doesn't press, don't even tell him your false name. Keep it to yourself.:. Hmm. For a young darking, you're pretty smart. .:Your praise is gratefully received, Grandmother:._ Kel felt a note of teasing amusement in that last part. Brie harrumphed. _The impertinence of the young! Why, when I was your age…Oh wait, nevermind. I can't even remember. _Kel's mouth twitched, and as she finished chewing she said,

"Oh. I'm part of the Elite," **_Leader of it, actually,_** "and I'm called the Shang… Oh, it sounds ridiculous, never you mind." Marcus, about to say something, changed his mind.

"I see. You've certainly gone up in the world, Kel. I'm just hoping I can be a part of it." Kel looked up from her noodles, an unreadable expression in her eyes. Marcus met her gaze for a single moment, then smiled, holding a hint of sadness it. Kel looked back at her udon, fiercely stabbing for a thick noodle, her hands suddenly shaky. The moment was broken when Fredrik took a seat beside Kel.

"Hullo, Lady Kel. Who's this?" he asked amiably, digging into his bowl of teriyaki. Marcus grinned and extended a hand.

"Marcus Lyons." Fredrik shook his hand.

"You wouldn't happen to be Scanran, would you?" Marcus cocked an eyebrow.

"Yes, at least, my father was. I think my mother was Gallan. It's the red hair, you see." Fredrik grinned.

"I do. So, how do you know our Lady Kel?" Marcus pushed his wonton around in his soup.

"Ah, I was her sailing companion on her first journey to the Islands. I also work on the _Morning Sage_. We've stayed in touch. But I'm here with the Tortallan ambassadors. But here, do you know who's arrived? The _Morning Sage _was part of the Tortallan fleet. Captain Vani has her contacts." Fredrik leaned forward. Kel tried not to show her interest, but she twisted her chopsticks around in her noodles. "It's Baron Piers, Lady Ilane, Sir Anders, and Lord Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak, with a few of his corporals of the Third Company. Lady Daine Salmalin comes, with her daughter, son, and her husband Numair Salmalin. King Jonathan sends them with his goodwill." Kel was thoughtful as she finished off her udon. _**Third Company? Aren't they too much to spare, what with the Scanran War going on? **I have no idea what your king is thinking. Perhaps this alliance is far too important to him. After all, Roald is now a knight. He may get sent to the field, and he needs an heir. .:This human folly. All the procreation. Don't you get tired of it? I heard that it's painful. It's a pity that you can't just divide, like we darkings. It's simpler.:._ Kel picked up her noodles.

"If you'll excuse me, I've got to take care of a few things. Fredrik, come to my rooms with Akane and Tatsuya. We've got to discuss a few things about tomorrow. I'll see you around, Lyons." Marcus nodded and returned to his conversation with Fredrik about the fighters in Jindazhen.

Kel was doing paperwork in her rooms when she heard a soft knock. When the metal plate on her desk glowed green, showing that the person coming had no intention to harm her, she opened the door. There, with two palace servants, was Elianaitha with a large crate. Behind the servants were a large stack of more crates. Kel motioned them inside.

"Lady Sunarrow, I didn't expect you… Come in. What's this?" Kel felt the darking slide down her back, leaving her chain and pendant on her neck. A moment later, she saw it climb into one of the crates. _.:Just inspecting. Don't mind me:._ Kel helped to bring the other crates in, helping the darking get from crate to crate without being seen. The lithe elfin woman was incredibly strong. She lifted crates that usually took two men to lift with little strain. Within moments all of the crates were inside. Kel sent one of the servants for a pry-bar and dismissed the other, with a tip of a silver coin. She and the elf woman sat to drink tea. When the servant returned with said pry-bar, Kel tipped him and let him leave. Elianaitha motioned at the door. A silvery-green tendril of her Gift slipped out and shut the door, gripping one edge of the wooden frame. More tendrils detached themselves from Elianaitha's fingers to seal the edges of the door and the window frames, as well as sealing off any possible ventilation. Kel sat still, watching, wary.

"This is the first shipment of weapons. Here's the crates of dress armor." The elf woman quickly pointed at the top slats of each armor-crate. They were labeled with each of Kel's friends names. "Inside there's a collapsible armor rack, so we can just set them up in your rooms or just send the crates to your wards' rooms." Kel thought it over.

"Hmm. I'll just send them to their rooms. How are we for weapons? I'll keep them in here for now, b\ecause I've got a spelled weapons rack. No one will get in this thing without me." Kel patted the sturdy wood and opened the doors. For the most part it was empty, with just Kel's glaive, a pair of nunchucks, a set of throwing weapons, and a small rack of daggers. Kel transferred her own weapons to another one of her magically sealed cabinets and opened it fully for her pupils' weapons. Elianaitha pried off the lid of the first crate and began to unpack.

After a good half hour of unpacking, Kel's weapons rack was overflowing. For Fredrik were nine swords: three Yamani blades with dusky red hilts, one Tortallan longsword, one Bazhir scimitar, one Marenite short sword, a set of double blades, and one Scanran hand-and-a-half blade. At the base of each blade was imprinted a single golden flame, one of the arrangements Kel had made with Bloodhoof. For Akane there were several types of weapons. She was outfitted with at least a dozen different types of daggers, a seemingly solid wood baton with a retractable blade at each end, a case of 25 shuriken, a case of 25 kunai, and three cases of dangerous looking weapons. She also had a pair of long curved knives and a pair of sais that sat in elegant silk wrapping, along with wrist and waist sheaths.

Each weapon had an accompanying sheath, all of them of hardened black leather with a single golden flame embossed at the tops. For Tatsuya there was a smaller arsenal, but each weapon was crafted with the utmost care. The last crate was for Kel. Elianaitha drew out a long wrapped object. When she unwrapped it, there was Kel's Gryphon. The blade was lighter now, still suited to her weight, however. Kel swung it in a few experimental passes. It was perfection in a weapon. The hilt wasn't changed, but the blade was shining metal. It was more beautiful than the finest crafted steel. The tempering was blue wave, but the metal… it seemed to gleam with a sort of inner light. The same metal was used with all of the other weapons, but Kel didn't want to examine her students' weapons. Here she looked at Gryphon's blade intently. Elianaitha pulled more out of the crate.

"This also is for you, lady. Bloodhoof sends it with his good wishes, and says that he wants no pay for it. It is a gift to a friend who appreciates weapons as he does." From the crate she drew a set of three Yamani blades, different from Fredrik's in that the hilts were black, with a single black opal embedded at the base of each hilt, holding within each stone the image of a flickering flame. Kel lifted them reverently. They were amazing. Elianaitha also drew out a pair of nunchucks and two quivers of arrows. On closer inspection, one quiver was filled with Stormwing-fletched arrows, and the other filled with griffin-fletched arrows.

"I cannot possibly accept this, Lady Sunarrow. I-" The elf woman cut her off with a finger over her lips.

"Lady Baura, you are more than you seem, are you not? Though old in maturity, you are still young in spirit. This is sent from Master Bloodhoof." With that, Elianaitha removed her magical seals on the room and left, striding out Kel's door without a backwards glance. Kel unfolded the note.

_Lady Baura,_

_I see a presence in you that is destined for greatness. I know not what it is, and nor will I ask. But my prayers are with you, the One who has Risen from Ashes. May your journey be fruitful and your goal fulfilled. I treasure your goodwill. And remember, a warrior's finest blade will one day be streaked with blood. The world is changing, Reborn One. And you shall have a part in it._

_-Bloodhoof_

Kel was puzzled by the letter, and more than a little worried. _**What did he mean by "Reborn One" and "the One who has Risen from Ashes"? **I think that he has some inkling of your- my presence in your body. .:Perhaps he is knowledgable of the Prophecy. And, in any case, I don't believe that he has any intention of doing you harm. He is extraordinary in himself. He assoiates with elves and dwarves, and crafts weapons of star-metal.:. You have a point there, little one. _Kel shook her hair out of her face. It was obvious that he wished her no harm. And it never hurt to have allies. Kel stood and returned to her papers.

The slight rap at her doorframe made Kel snap her head up from her ledgers. As she went to answer it, she thought absently, _**Accounting was certainly not what I had in mind when I became Phoenix. **I didn't have much of that to do. Perhaps you could recruit Akane's help? .:That girl despises numbers. She loves to read, but she hasn't got a banker's frame of mind.:. **How do you know that? **.:I watch your charges while you sleep. It is entertaining at times. Fredrik snores so loudly I'm surprised the guards don't come charging in to shut him up.:._ Kel hushed both the voices in her head before she opened the door.

Akane, Tatsuya, and Fredrik stood there. Kel ushered them in, and shut the door firmly behind them.

"Did you all receive your crates of dress armor?" The three nodded.

"Alright, you'll be wearing them tomorrow. You will be junior members of the Elite. Make sure to come to my rooms to take your weapons before the ball. We will be allowed weapons, of course, being the Elite.The emperor has it all taken care of. Being members of the Elite, you will stand at the Emperor's back at the introduction ceremonies, but you could and should mingle during the actual ball. I want you to make full reports to me of how you think the courtiers and diplomats are in your own opinion, and see if you notice anything out of place. Since you're only junior members, you can still walk around in full dress armor. I have been quite assured that the armor is the best that Bloodhoof can make. Have you any questions?" Tatsuya raised his hand. At Kel's nod, he asked,

"How long will we be staying at the ball?" Kel noticed a sense of uneasiness.

"We stay as long as the Emperor stays. Or longer, if you'd like. His normal Elite guard bring him to his chambers, so I don't think we'll have escort him back. I'll be entering separately from you, because of my… titles. You will enter with the rest of the Elite, and I will come in afterwards. After my introduction, I'll be stationed with you, but I'll be in armor as well. I want you to experience Yamani courtliness." The three of them nodded. Kel brushed her hands off briskly and shooed them out.

"Alright. What do you say we get a good night's sleep, and come here in the morning for weapons distribution. The ball officially starts at the 7th after-noon bell. I will not be attending the formal pre-ball dinner, so I'd like you to all come to my rooms at the 6th bell in your armor. From here we'll travel to the Roses Terrace, where I'll explain the layout and you'll enter and I'll follow. But now, go and eat, then rest. We've got a long day ahead of us."


	25. The Ball

Chapter 25:The Ball

Kel tapped irritably at her faceplate. After parting company with her three charges, she wanted to get into the Hall of Roses and quit the waiting. She was unaccountably warm in her Yamani-style armor. Suddenly the door behind her whispered open. Swiftly turning around, Kel made the motion fluid as she also donned her helmet and faceplate. She bowed slowly to the newcomers. Though she had spent most of the day in meditation, steeling herself for this, the entrance of the people she had known so well shocked her.

Lady Daine entered the waiting room first, dressed in a blue Tortallan/Yamani style dress with a gauzy white overdress. Kel noticed the slits in her skirts that gave her freedom of movement. In her tumbling brown hair she wore tiny pearls that seemed embedded in a shiny black ribbon. Kel touched Inkjet. _.:Yes, that is one of my number. It is called…:._ The darking paused, communicating with the other darking. _.:it is called Thorn:. **I hope you told him to keep the presence of you and my real identity secret. **.:Of course, Lady Kel. Of course.:._ Behind Daine trailed Kitten, her sharp silver claws clacking on the floor. Her eyes glittered with intelligence, and she voiced a short trill that made Kel's armor tremble for a moment. _Little Skysong is trying to detect my magics. Unfortunately for her, she can sense it but do nothing about it. It's like an itch she can't scratch. One of my mages who made this made sure that nothing could penetrate the spell-weave. Fortunately, this mage was a transformed dragon, and sealed the weave against Immortal interference._

Nothing else happened after that, and Kel continued to examine the guests. Kel saw her mother come in after Lady Daine, wearing a dark red kimono with small monkeys climbing up the hem. Underneath she wore a kimono of gold. Her obi was the same color, and a shukusen was tucked into it. Her white hair was piled into an intricate knot at the back of her head. Kel's heart ached when she saw her. _Steady on, Kel. She'll find out when the time comes. **I know, it's just- I feel so awful for lying to her! Mithros forgive me for this sin…**_ Behind Lady Ilane came Baron Piers, talking animatedly with Numair Salmalin. Numair wore a creamy white linen shirt under a dark blue tunic over his black breeches. His breeches were tucked into the tops of his tall black boots. A chain that hung around his neck displayed three flat black opal disks, while his earring glittered faintly. Over all of this he wore a black robe with faint silver embroidery at the cuffs and hems.

Baron Piers was clad in a more austere plush velvet russet tunic over a beige shirt. His breeches were dark brown leather, and his boots were a darker shade of brown. At his waist shone a partly decorative belt-knife. A gold ring hung from one ear and his left hand showed a single gold band. Behind the baron came Lord Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak. Kel noted with a start that she was taller than he. A good two inches taller, to be exact. The two kuwagata that crowned her helmet added to her height. Nevertheless, his figure was almost as imposing as her own. He was dressed in a plush green and gold tunic, His breeches were finely woven Carthaki cotton, tucked into a pair of boots that were trimmed at the tops with gold leatherwork. A sword was slung at his side, allowed only because of his title and his position of guard towards his fellow ambassadors. Kel bowed to him last.

Their conversation quieted when they noted the tall stranger. Kel stood, stolid, unsure of what to do. The doorman made up her mind for her as he opened the main doors with a flourish. He beckoned forward Baron Piers and his wife, and announced them. After the baron and baroness came Lady Daine and Master Numair, and after that went Raoul. After them came several lesser Yamani nobles. Finally the time came for Kel's own name to be announced. The man thumped his staff hard on the wooden floor three times. The space below his feet was hollow, specifically for that purpose. The hall grew still, as it did with the Tortallan ambassadors.

"Suzumi Baura, Shang Phoenix, Second-in-command to the Imperial Seat, Member of the Imperial Coucil, Imperial Armsmaster, Commander of the Elite Guard, Emperor's Advisor, Overseer of the High Guard of Swords, Samurai Lord of the Fujikama, Torigawa, and Yamakaze Islands." Kel nodded gravely to the Master of Ceremonies and pressed a gold coin into his hand. She strode into the room, hearing the rustle of kimonos as the Yamani lords and ladies bowed. She hated this kind of frippery. When she reached the Emperor, she removed her helmet and face plate briefly and bowed to the floor, hoping that her hair would hide her face. The Emperor stood and pulled her to her feet, placing himself that he strategically blocked the Tortallan's view of her, then bowed to her slightly. She bowed back, mouthed a swift "Thank you," then swiftly donned helmet and face-plate again before taking her place behind the Emperor's seat. Kel seemed to be the last high ranking official of the night. She felt eyes on her as she stood stock-still, watching the Hall warily.

The room was divided into several parts. The largest part was devoted to elegant geisha dancers, the emperor's finest. They swiveled and swept from side to side in perfect unison to the faint music of a small group of Yamani musicians. Later on in the night, the emperor would seat everybody to a show of the splendors of the Islands- dragon acrobats and other musical entertainment, as well as displays of skill by his warriors and perhaps a bit of some performance or other. The rest of the room was subtly divided by the occasional silk screen, giving each group of partygoers opportunities to find a group they felt comfortable in. In several of the screened-off areas food was served on low tables, while servers drifted around with trays of assorted drinks and finger-foods. Light was provided by bright mage-lamps along the walls, while several large doors opened to balconies or gardens. The moon shone faintly outside, slightly hazy from the anti-insect wards that made a magical film over the open doorways. Kel settled into her place to wait.

Daine studied the tall warrior closely. Suzumi was a female name, for certain. The woman had to be at least six feet tall. Daine was relatively sure that she hadn't been Yamani. Most Yamani people were shorter, in the five foot seven inch range. Kitten walked over and trilled her uncertainty of the warrioress. But Daine could swear that she recognized the face that she saw in that single moment before the figure bowed. The thought flitted through her head all night.

Raoul stared uncomfortably at the screens decorating the walls. These Yamanis were certainly very poetic. He wandered outside and sat heavily on one of the benches overlooking a lily pond. The introductions were over, and the ball had settled into full swing. Few people talked out here. Suddenly, a presence settled down on the bench beside him with the faint clank of armor. Raoul was startled. He hadn't heard a single noise beforehand. He turned to regard the Yamani warrior beside him. She- it was a she, under that armor, he could tell, sat impassive. He leaned back and gazed at the stars through the branches of the cherry trees above. The stars sparkled through their cage of shadows.

"Greetings, Lord Knight Commander Sir Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak." The man grimaced.

"Call me Raoul. Lord Raoul if you must. What shall I call you, Shang Phoenix?" The woman's voice was musical and slightly husky with a faint Yamani accent. Kel cleared her throat.

"I am only Suzumi. You must forgive me, I am only just arrived from my country… estates. I have had little time to prepare for Court life." Raoul studied the woman from the corner of his mouth. Her helmet and face mask were off, but her face was shrouded in shadows. Raoul settled back.

"Your Common is excellent. Tell me, were you born here?" The woman shifted.

"No. I was Tortallan. I stowed away and came here. Being a street rat on the streets of Corus was unpleasant, to say the least." Raoul nodded.

"Have you visited lately?" Kel shook her head.

"No, I haven't. No reason to return, you know. No parents." Kel felt awful for lying, but she knew it couldn't be helped. Her real identity would only harm her here.

"Have you any news from Tortall?" she asked, wondering if he could shed first-person light on all of the information her spies brought back to the emperor.

"The Scanran War is still going on. Curse that Maggot Rathausak. He slams new evils against us again and again. His monstrous metal machines have decimated our forces. The only thing we've found works against them is a direct blow to the head, or melting them magically. It's slowly draining our resources. No one knows where his controlling mage is. If Jonathan knows, he's keeping it to himself. But I see no reason for that…" Raoul trailed off. Kel shrugged into her helmet and face plate.

"Then let us distract you for this while, Lord Raoul. Come inside. There's a sitting parlor just off of the main Hall for discussion and small talk. It's relaxing," she said in her Yamani Lump voice. Raoul stood, his large frame not quite dwarfed by Kel's imposing, graceful figure. They entered a small room to the side, and soon Kel slipped out. Raoul was talking animatedly with some of the Yamani lords about battle plans and weapons. Kel drifted through the throng, eventually coming to a point beside the emperor. She and the other members of the Elite were guarding him in three-man shifts, giving the other members time to mingle and collect information. Kel, being a superior member and a Yamani noblewoman to boot, had a shorter shift. She didn't even have to have one, but she insisted. As she took her place beside Nokoru, she stood closely enough behind him to speak softly to him.

"All is the same at the front of Lord Raoul. I will attempt to mingle later on in another costume. Perhaps I can learn more from his corporals. But for the meantime, I remain here." Nokoru nodded almost imperceptibly and Kel drew back as he greeted another pair of Yamani nobles. Kel's eyes scanned the crowd. The Elite were strategically spread throughout the Hall of Roses. Kel had instructed each member to stay within eyesight of at least one other member. Seeing as there were twenty of the Elite in the room, Kel felt that they were wary enough. She had also asked her troops to remain in pairs on the gardens and terraces outside. At least two pairs of the Elite stood amongst the chatting noblemen on the balconies. Other members of the Guard of Swords, the lesser version of the Elite, were dressed as servers with weapons hidden under their clothes.

Satisfied, Kel returned to standing guard. She could see Akane standing rather stiffly in a corner, sipping what Kel hoped was a small cup of tea or water. Tatsuya was drifting near the ranks of the mages, who tended to stick together. Numair was not to be seen in that group, however. Daine was drifting amongst a group of Yamani noblewomen who plainly were mages or talented in other forms of self-defense. One of the "noblewomen" was actually one of Kel's Elite in disguise. The woman had been raised in a noble family before being selected for the Order.

Fredrik was talking with some of the members of the King's Own who had come with Lord Raoul. They were obviously enjoying themselves. Kel prayed that he would remember to keep his mouth closed about her secrets. Her wards had been given instructions on what to say if anyone asked for information on Kel or the emperor. They had been implanted with a sort of pseudo-liar's palace, with respect to their own histories and Kel's. Kel's history was the one she had given the Emperor, and each of her students had their own. The seeming would only last for today, however. After a period of time, it was Kel's turn to be relieved. She drifted towards Fredrik and his group of King's Own corporals.

Armed only with belt and boot knives, the group of blue-clad men were the picture of Tortallan health. They laughed noisily as someone told a joke, or they roughed each other up periodically, just for the fun of it. They lounged about on the cushions, and smelled faintly of body odor. Kel was slightly put off from it, but she decided to go along and say hello.

"Greetings, Fredrik. Care to introduce me to your friends?" she said softly into Fredrik's ear. He jumped, almost imperceptibly, and made room for her at the table. She knelt carefully, her helmet and face-mask still on. Fredrik turned to the man beside him, speaking rather loudly. He grinned at Kel and began.

"Hullo, Dom, this is my master, Lady Baura. She's originally Tortallan, y'see. Like you fellows." Kel was slightly annoyed. This was more than she had wanted him to spill unprompted. She detected the faint whiff of sake on his breath, and looked down. Four small bottles sat empty before him, the small cup drained. Several more were scattered on the floor. She shook her head mentally. _**Idiot boy. I've got to tell him to stop the drinking habit. Perhaps I ought to have a charm made for him that would reduce if not eliminate, the effects of alcohol on his bodily symptoms. We can't have a loose-jawed Junior member of the Elite. **Certainly. The poor kid might get us killed one day. _Kel smiled politely at Fredrik's partner, Dom was his name, but remembered her face mask. She crinkled the corners of her eyelids and gave a little bow. He offered a hand, and Kel took it.

His hand was warm and slightly dry, bigger than hers. Glancing up, Kel saw that he might have been her height, or perhaps a half-inch taller.

"Nice to meet you, Lady Phoenix. It's an honor," he said in a baritone voice. It was a pleasant voice, really, just slightly dry with a hint of sarcasm imbedded within it. "I'm Domitan of Masbolle, Sergeant of Third Company." Kel released his hand. He lounged back on his cushion and pushed the hair from his face. _He is very attractive,_ Brie muttered. Kel ignore her and looked down at the foodl His nose looked awfully familiar, however. Kel searched for a way to phrase her question so that he wouldn't be suspicious of her.

"I assume you are a younger son, Sergeant. Or perhaps you did not find knighthood to your liking?" Kel asked, the image of a curious Yamani. Dom laughed, a kind laugh.

"Hardly. I do have a cousin newly knighted, though. His name's Nealan of Queenscove, but I just call him Meathead. For a knight, he's just a bit on the sarcastic, insubordinate side." Kel nodded as she thought about what he had said. _**He's Neal's cousin… that explains a bit of his mannerisms. He's awfully casual though. **He is handsome, though. Very handsome. _Kel flushed slightly. To blend back into the background, she reached for a roll of sushi and placed it on her plate delicately. She then realized that she couldn't eat it without taking off her face plate. Giving up, she used a slight-of-hand trick she had learned in the Order. The sushi slipped under the table, where Inkjet rolled down to eat. Dom asked,

"I say, I do look forward to learning more about the Islands. I've heard your fighting style is a sight to see. I'd like to see some of you in training. The Shang warriors we have in Tortall are certainly a tough bunch." Kel remembered back to Hakuin and Eda. They were hazy faces now. Slipping back into their conversation, Kel inclined her head thoughtfully.

"While our fighting style is different from yours, I am curious to see your type of fighting. I am afraid we don't have tournaments here. And I've heard that they're very interesting." Dom laughed.

"Well, I don't want to brag, but sometimes it can get pretty messy. But I'm sure that the Yamanis have their own share of danger. I see that you hold a veritable amount of noble titles." Kel felt the darking rolling back up her arm after it finished its meal.

"Well, it almost feels like I was hit with them all at once. I was never really the noble type, I suppose. It's funny, though. When I was in Tortall, I used to dream about being a knight. I suppose I saw the idea as fruitless, then came here. I just wanted to be a Shang, but look where that got me!" Her eyes crinkled in mirth. Dom nodded.

"I had seen this one girl. Kel of Mindelan, they called her. She was the Probationary Page. Doubtless you've heard of her." Kel feigned ignorance.

"No, I haven't, actually. Tell me more about this Kel." Fredrik threw her an inquisitive glance. Dom shrugged and continued.

"Tall girl, she was. I won a meal off of her when she stayed on her horse after it reared. Big horse it was, too. Peony or something. Anyway, this horse was bigger than the others, and the girl stayed on. Unfortunately, Lord Wyldon kicked her out of the training after a year. Perhaps she wasn't good enough. For whatever reason Lord Wyldon didn't let her finish page training. Last I heard, she was staying with her brother at Fief Mindelan." Kel nodded. _**Good, the emperor and the Order can infiltrate the spy system. **If the emperor says he can, he will. _

"Well, perhaps she wasn't suitable as a knight. Maybe she found some other service to the Crown." Dom shrugged.

"Maybe. Wherever she is, I hope that the gods are watching over her. She seemed like a dangerous sort. You know, the sort to change the world."

Akane settled down on a small cushion in the corner of the room. She was alone, it seemed. Tatsuya was getting along fine with his mage buddies; even Lady Kel had joined Fredrik and his group of warriors. All that she wanted to do was find a good scroll or book and read. She fiddled with the circular hole in the middle of a shuriken. Social things bore me, Akane decided. She saw a tall, lanky figure approach her shadowy corner. She slipped the shuriken away and attempted to look attentive.

"On guard, I see." The lanky person was the one they called Numair. Akane had heard about him at the Yakuza. He was the strongest mage on the Tortallan land mass. He was married to the woman Veralidaine. From what Lady Kel had told her, he was also very scholarly and taught at the page training school. The man reached inside his black robe and drew out what looked like a pocket almanac. Bound in leather, the cover swam with magical symbols. In the middle was the image of a sun, with the four main quarters of the moon surrounding it. He flipped through it, then muttered with annoyance. Akane glanced over.

"Is there a problem, Master Salmalin?" The tall mage thrust the book away.

"No, not really. Its just that, with all the different types of magic dampeners here, my almanac is slightly off. Right now, instead of giving me the Yamani night sky readings, I'm getting the Marenite sky. I did want to see if there were any meteor showers in the near future here. It- the sky, I mean- is so much clearer here. And the gardens are beautiful. I'm afraid that the last potted plant I tended for sheer enjoyment died from lack of watering." The corners of Akane's eyes crinkled.

"I see. From my reading, I remember that tonight we are scheduled for a meteor shower. It should be occurring right now. Perhaps you would like to go outside to view it?" the mage stood hurriedly.

"I would certainly enjoy the experience. However, I'm not very well acquainted with your gardens. Would you care to come with me? You seem as if you could use the distraction. Unless you've been posted here?" Akane stood and glanced around. There were plenty of Elite still in the room. She left a small leaf on the wall where she was sitting, to let Lady Kel know that she was outside.

"I am honored by your invitation, and of course I must accept. My thanks, Master Salmalin." With that, she followed the lanky mage out a nearby door to the gardens.

The emperor sat comfortably, watching the geisha dancers move to the faint music. He turned slightly to hear the voice of the Phoenix, who knelt behind him.

"My lord," she said, "you asked me to remind you of the time. It is half past the eighth evening hour." The emperor stood, prompting those around him to scuttle for the proper pose. Behind him, he sensed Suzumi rising to her feet. The musicians stopped their playing at his gesture, and the geishas finished their dance with a flourish of their fans. The chatter in the room died down- the servants had cleared away many of the dividing screens and several food-tables to accommodate the seating for the upcoming performances. Cushions were set out, and the emperor gestured for several servants to bring in the guests on the terraced gardens and balconies. When everyone had gathered, he raised his voice, his perfect Common audible in every corner of the room.

"We are honored by your presence, honorable guests, and wish to entertain you with a short exhibition of the splendors of the Isles. We offer you a seat, and may the production begin." With that, he sat back onto his raised platform. The nobles found seats and looked towards the flat mat used as stage as the lights dimmed and faint music began to play.

First came a whirl of geisha dancers, elegant in their butterfly-like kimonos, whirling their dance just a little faster than normal. The one thing different about these dancers was that they were also sharing the stage with a row of Imperial Elite, who were stomping their feet and going through a synchronized pattern dance. Every time that the audience thought that one of the pretty dancers would get her head cut off, she delicately inclined her upper torso the necessary inch to avoid dismemberment, or made a dainty step to the side. The dance was a show of dexterity and grace, with the vague shadow of elegant violence. The music suddenly picked up speed, and the dancers danced with a speed that amazed the visitors. With a whirl of silk and a crash of colliding metal glaive heads. Between each Yamani warrior was a geisha dancer, gracefully holding a pose that looked incredibly painful but also incredibly beautiful. About an inch above the geisha's heads, the warriors flanking her had crashed their glaives together on one side, and their katanas together on the other. There was a stunned silence, and then the geishas and warriors returned to a normal standing position, knelt, and bowed to the floor. There was a polite patter of applause. Kel noticed that the more enthusiastic Tortallans of the King's Own were clapping loudly. One sergeant cheered. Kel shook her head. _**They don't know how its like here, do they? **Don't blame them for their ignorance. In Tortall, not applauding as they are would be an insult. Cultures are different, Kel. You of all people should know that, eh, Miss Lump? _Kel made a mental face at Brie and returned to watching the performances.

Daine reclined, at ease on her cushion. The Yamani performances were amazing. Some of the warriors looked as if they had lifted boulders all their lives. Of course, Daine thought, that was probably what they did. Back at home, Sir Myles had told stories of the Yamanis and their training, at least, what he had known from his (and George's) spies. They were insanely dedicated to their martial arts, and most of the noblewomen and all men knew how to defend themselves. Weapons had been made from things as unlikely as rice flails and other tools. The first display of martial arts had amazed Daine. And, after the many trials she had endured between living the life of one of Tortall's animal/mage spies and having actual god-parents, not much amazed her like things used to. After an almost deafening performance of Yamani percussion on large kettle-drums, came the less than faint mental whisper of approaching animals.

Not to Daine's surprise was this an animal performance. When two large black-and-white bears entered the room, carrying a monkey on each back, Daine wanted to stretch her hands out the caress the beautiful creatures. Next came two white tigers, twins, from what Daine heard them say. Then the handlers arrived, two young women, also twins, carrying a small, colorful bird on each shoulder. The two young women, maybe seventeen or eighteen, had tattoos of swirling black lines of varying thicknesses twisting around each other.

They were clad in almost scanty garments that looked like they could have come from a Tortallan sleazy dancing place. The thing that distinguished them from cheap materials was the design and obvious money put into the cloth. The tight corset-like tops laced loosely in the front and exposed the girls' tanned midriffs. A skirt that looked like four dangling strips of wide cloth cinched at the girls' hips with gold embroidery and a wide band. Each forearm was covered by a swallow-tail sleeve. The skin from the shoulders to the elbows was bare. One twin wore pink, the other purple.

The twins faced each other from opposite sides of the room and bowed gravely. A large panda bear stood at one side of each girl, while a white tiger took the place on the opposite side. Suddenly the girls sprang into motion.

They flipped rapidly towards each other, twisting in the air, causing their sleeves and skirts to flare out in the sudden movement. The animals also joined the play, twining around the girls' flashing legs and arched backs. The tigers broke away from the organized dance and growled at each other. Daine, sensing their intentions, smiled at their mock anger. They roared suddenly and charged at each other, but at the last minute slowed and butted heads playfully. The girls were now doing handstands on the backs of the panda bears. A monkey sat perched on each girl's pair of feet. The monkeys then sprang aside with a playful chatter to each other, and the girls did what looked like a vertical floor push-up on the pandas' backs, then flipped head over heels and landed in front of the wrestling tigers.

They patted each tiger, then retreated with them to each side of the room. They each mounted one, and the large cats sprang at each other once more. This time, they didn't stop, but brushed the other's side, and with a flash of color the girls traded tigers. Each tiger then wheeled around and charged once more. There was a deafening roar from each tiger, then the two large cats planted their fore-feet against the other's. The girls had somehow changed positions, and now one girl stood gingerly atop the tigers' butted heads and held up her sister, who was doing a handstand on her outstretched arms. The monkeys clambered up and stood on the girl's spread feet. The pandas approached and stood side-to-side with each tiger. The top-most girl let the monkeys climb onto her sister's shoulders, then flipped off of her sister's supporting hands and landed beside one of the pandas, resting a gentle hand on its head.

The other sister sprang into the air. She seemed suspended in the air for a moment, as if she were flying. The monkeys sprang from her shoulders and landed each on one tiger. The girl pirouetted in the air and landed softly beside her panda.

The Yamanis burst into applause, and the girls bowed, then straightened, grinning widely. Daine was surprised. It was the most emotion she had seen on a Yamani's face yet. They pranced back, and the animals retreated. The emperor stood and inclined his head at the two performers. They bowed deeply, still gently shooing their animal partners back through the door. He then turned his attention to the audience. Daine, itching to speak with the animals, fidgeted in her seat. His standing forced everybody else to stand. He swept out a hand, as if to motion for silence. But of course there was no noise in the beginning, anyhow. He cleared his throat.

"We have a very special ending to make to this evening. If you would follow me into the main courtyard, we shall begin the Farewell production." Everyone stood and followed the Emperor. The outside air was just faintly chilly, probably because of the many weather-warding magical charms all around the courtyard. Outside of the thin magical line was a fresh layer of snow. Daine felt a singing in her mind; a singing that was like the music she had just heard- faint trills of a flute with the deep voice of the drums and a faint twang of the stringed instruments. In the air all around seemed to pop, and a dark figure accompanied by a white-hot one spiraled out of the clouds. Daine looked up to see the long, twining form of a Yamani Dragon, obviously just arrived from the Dragonlands. With it came a sunbird. They writhed and twirled in an intricate dance, making arcs across the night sky. Suddenly, the sunbird's rays brightened so much that the onlookers had to turn away. There was a faint roar from above, and a moment later, the bright light was gone, exploded into many small shimmering fires that extinguished themselves in the night sky. The dragon spiraled down to the courtyard below.

It inclined its shaggy head at the Emperor, who in turn bowed back to the ground. That, of course, was the cue for everyone to bow. Its voice rumbled out.

"Greetings, friends. I am called Teriyama. I come as ambassador from the Yamani Dragons in the Divine Realms. We show our goodwill to the Emperor, and he maintains relations with the rest of the world for us. May the gods bless all of you." With that, the dragon spiraled back into the air, like a long, legged snake. Of course the sub-species of Yamani Dragons did not have wings.

The Emperor led the way inside to make his final farewell speech to his guests. They returned to their mats and awaited the Emperor's words. Kel took up her place behind Nokoru-san. Most of the Elite were also with her, but several had been posted to various corners and entrances to the large room. The Emperor stood at his low dais.

"My friends, I would like to thank you for coming here and enjoying our small example of the wonders of the Islands. Now-" the Emperor never got to finish what he was going to say. With a splintering of rice-paper screens, thirteen large, dark forms crashed into the room. Kel immediately wheeled into a fighting stance. The hulking forms were what looked like large metal insects with scythe-hands and large giant bones for a structure. Wires and pulleys connected each part of the machine to the next, and each gaping maw held multiple rows of slicing, gnashing teeth.

Two of the forms had riders. One man, a huge Scanran with streaming blond hair, jumped skilfully down from his metal beast and surveyed the destruction around him with a satisfied air. The other looked to be a mage- a dirty, rumpled mage at that. His black robes were dotted with stains, and his hair was greasy and matted. The Scanran turned to the machines and the mage.

"Well, King Maggur wanted you to show your allegiance. What are you waiting for? Start killing."

A/N: Woot!!! Chapter 25! What better to celebrate this momentous occasion than by writing something longer than usual? I hope that this marks the halfway point in the story. I'd like to thank every single one of you reviewers, I really loved the praise and the critique- I feel like a better Fanfiction writer. I'd also like to thank the Academy... Tempe Prep Academy, that is! Go Knights! A lot of my inspirations come from school.


	26. Attack!

Chapter 26: Attack!

Kel sheathed her katana and slid into place in front of the emperor. Just as the beasts began to move, she cried out in Yamani,

"Heron Formation!" This was the signal for each Elite to gather with a few of the server-warriors and protect each group of guests. They were armed only with their weapons and their knowledge of how to kill such a monster. Each server reached under a low table or wooden screen and brought out a heavy weapon. On her part, Kel had hidden things like war hammers and maces throughout the room.

She grabbed a mace in her free hand and tossed a war hammer to the nearby Lord Raoul. He and his group of Tortallans scrambled to the protection of Kel and the Elite. Her warriors handed out the heavy arms to the King's Own soldiers as they took their place amongst the Elite. Numair took a position behind the soldiers and pushed his sleeves back, preparing for a major working. The monsters were now flailing indiscriminately through the crowd of Yamanis. There were screams as the monsters' claws bit into flesh.

Fortunately, the Elite and warriors had already gone into their positions. With each group there was a war-mage who kept the monsters at bay. Flames of the Gift flickered and twined around some monsters, while some encased a monster's limb in ice. The Scanran man was another problem. He was advancing towards the emperor and Kel, astride his metal monster. The mage was beside him.

They were flanked by two other monsters, and they cut their way through the crowd. Kel steadied herself on the dais and felt two of her charges come to flank the emperor behind her. She looked back to see Tatsuya and Akane on each side of the Emperor, with Fredrik in the back. Suddenly, all too suddenly, the four machines were upon them. Numair released a wave of flame that engulfed the four monsters and the riders, only for it to be dissipated like morning fog. The lanky mage grimaced.

"A necromancer. Wonderful." The black-clad mage was drawing on the power of the newly-killed dead. Now, at least for the moment, he was more powerful than Numair. Kel crossed through the line of Elite to stand before the Scanran's metal beast. It clawed at her, quick and deadly. She danced out of the way, passing her mace to one of the Elite behind her. The other two machines were now harrassing the circle around the emperor and the Tortallan embassy.

Daine, a hawk, dove at the eye-sockets of the machines, confusing them. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Numair, struggling against the necromancer, a faint sheen of sweat beading on his forehead. Akane clung to the back of one of the monsters, slashing at the cables holding it together with one hand as she gripped the neck-groove with the other. She deftly avoided the stabbing motions of the monster's pincer-razor fingers by twisting every which way.

Tatsuya had produced his book from somewhere on his person and was blasting lightning bolts at his monster. Fredrik was amongst those guarding the Emperor. Daine, a sparrow now, was distracting one of the beasts while an Elite soldier smashed its head in with a warhammer. A fog formed above its head and the metal crumpled to the ground with a clatter. Kel focused back in on the task before her. She stood before the blond Scanran and his monster. She approached him, and the monster lashed out. She caught the metal fingers on her mace, but the metal bit into the wood handle, and she let it drop away, ducking to grab a fallen warhammer. This one had a spike at the back, for punching through armor. The next time that the monster lashed at her, she aimed the spike at a joint where several pulleys connected the chains that ran the monster. She ensnared them and yanked the pulleys free. The monster's left razored hand was now useless. Quickly Kel ducked to avoid one of its flailing knife-toes, but was just a hair too slow.

Blood streamed into her eye from a cut on her scalp. She smashed the monster in the visor-mouth with the flat of the warhammer as it followed through with its slicing punch. It reeled backwards, and its Scanran rider struggled to stay on it. She darted forward again, this time punching the hammer into its torso and sinking her metal spike into its head as it lurched forwards. It dragged free of her hands and stuck in the monster's head cavity for a moment. Then a white fog hissed out from between the hammer and the edges of the hole.

"Mama?" it asked, then dissipated as the monster collapsed. The Scanran bear-man had jumped free of his fallen beast and approached her. She drew her katana, and he pulled out a giant two-headed axe. He was garbed in the traditional leather furred and metal-studded armor. He smiled, an oily streak that managed to make goosebumps run over Kel's arms. _Easy, Kel, easy. You can take this fella. __.:Do not worry yourself, Keladry.:. __**Thanks, guys, **_she said, her mental voice wry. Quickly, she gripped her pendant that Inkjet dangled out for her, and imagined herself in the white training robes she used to wear in the Order. On second thought, she added a cloth mask that covered her head, except for her eyes. She darted forwards even as she thought, feeling the cloth and armor rustle across her back as it flashed. She scored a hit on the Scanran's armor as she pierced his hip. He roared with anger and lashed out at her with his axe.

Suddenly, Brie piped up mentally, _I'll do what I did in that test of Jin Lee. Inkjet here can help me manipulate the stray bits of Gift. You'll be lighter than a feather. __**My thanks,**_ she replied, and dashed forward again. This time, the Scanran's axe-blade rang with the impact on her katana. Kel felt the vibrations rumble up her arms and tremble in her spine. Quickly, she slid left to avoid his follow-up backhand. _**Gods, he waves that around as if it's a dagger, he's that fast. **__.:Then you should be faster,:._ Inkjet replied, and Kel felt a certain lightening of her body. She sprang forward again, this time cutting for the Scanran giant's arm. She felt the star-metal of her katana slice through studded leather and bite into flesh. The blond man simply transferred his axe to his other hand and resumed the attack against her. Kel darted back, then forward again, seeing his attack as if in slow motion. The axe whistled towards her, only to swish through empty air as she dodged again. She knocked aside the wooden shaft and slashed at the Scanran's midriff. She felt the leather give, but before she could drive deeper, the man had staggered backwards, swinging at her head. Kel pranced back, contented with the shallow cut she had managed to inflict. She continued to harry the giant, slicing at his vulnerable points and darting away. She was the mongoose and he the snake. He was almost fast enough, but not enough so.

Just as Kel began to relax, Brie mentally shouted, _Don't get overconfi-_ Kel didn't hear the rest of what she was going to say before she caught sight of the Scanran man's downcoming axe. She caught the haft on her katana blade, and the Scanran bore down mercilessly. His greater bulk was coming into play, and Kel felt her blade bite deep into the wood, only to get imbedded in a lead core. She muttered a curse, and the man simply bared his teeth at her in an animal grin.

"Didn't you know? Women can't be warriors." He pressed down, intent on driving Kel to the ground and crushing her skull. Kel gritted her teeth and suddenly loosened her grip on the katana and twisted it out of the wood with a vicious yank. The Scanran continued to fall forwards, and she kicked at his shins. As he fell, as if in slow motion, she punched him solidly at the bridge of his nose, the force of her blow breaking and sending bone splinters into his brain. The Scanran fell in a heap, instantly killed. She refrained from spitting on his corpse, but instead reached down and dug the Yamani character for justice into his palms. The matter was done quickly. The soul would go to the Black God's realms with the ultimate mark of a criminal on his hands. Kel stepped over him, to see how the other fighters were doing.

Six of the thirteen beasts were dead, collapsed mountains of black metal and dark magic. The other seven wreaked havoc, giving the necromancer plenty of power to feed off of. Kel could still feel the lightness that her two inner mentors had given her. She gripped her pendant and reverted back to her Yamani armor mode, then slashed at the monster that the necromancer rode. She missed as blood dribbled into her eyes from a forehead cut that throbbed faintly. She dodged its lurching slashes and skipped to the side, then lunged.

Its pulleys and chains broke in its left arm and leg, and she clambered out of the way of the falling beast. The mage broke free of the tangle and stood, unopposed, in a small circle of unusual lack of chaos. Numair and the mage still struggled, an unseen test of wills that would eventually culminate in an enormous show of force against the loser. Kel approached him and lashed out. The mage threw out a hand, and Kel was slammed painfully through a splintered wood screen and into a large mahogany kotatsu. She gained her footing, realizing with detachment that some of her ribs must have cracked, or even broken. Without recognizing the pain, she approached the necromancer on her own once more. This time, she felt Inkjet roll into her palm. _.:Throw me at the mage's face. I shall take care of things from there. While he is distracted, cut his throat.:. _Kel didn't question the orders.

With a lunge, Kel hurled the black blob into the mage's face as he turned in surprise. Inkjet flattened itself into a disk in mid air and plastered itself over the mage's face. Kel swung her blade with all the force of her battered body and felt immense satisfaction when she felt the star-blade bite through bone and the flesh of the mage's neck. The necromancer stood stock still. Kel saw it all as if it were going incredibly slowly. Within the space of less then a second, her blade had passed from one side of his neck to the other. There was a faint spray of blood from her blade, dotting the air. A single straight red line ran around the mage's neck, like a necklace. Then the suddeness was broken, and slowly the necromancer's head slid to the floor and bounced- once, twice- then lay still. Everything froze in that moment. The remaining metal monsters gave a single cry in unison, then a white fog rolled out of each eye socket and visor-mouth. There was a collective silence as the spirits hovered over the scene of death, then they gave a wail and dissipated into the night air.

The silence was unbroken, but for the clatter of metal on the ground. Even the wounded were stunned. Kel, in her bloody face-mask and Yamani armor, staggered to her feet and leaned heavily on a broken staff she had found on the floor. Exhausted almost beyond comprehension, she managed to get out a few words.

"The necromancer is dead," she announced in a flat voice. "We must tend to our wounded. Fetch healers." With that, those who were not wounded, or only marginally so, set about helping the others, dispersing in search of healers, and removing the bodies to a separate area. In the flurry of bandages and healing Gifts, Kel caught sight of the Emperor bandaging an elderly Yamani lord's arm wound. Kel, after she had tightly bound her ribs behind a wood screen, helped with the wounded. The Tortallans were surveying the losses. Akane drifted to Kel's side, her left arm splinted roughly with a long piece of broken kotatsu. Tatsuya remained with the healers, giving his Gift-strength until he could barely see straight. Fredrik was helping to carry the dead from the room, as he was one of the few who sustained minimal injuries.

When most of the bustle died down, Kel and her group, with the permission of the Emperor, walked to one of the sitting chambers, which had now been changed into a hospital-like room for the Tortallan embassy. A Yamani healer was within, and with a final shimmer of parting Gift, healed a man's cut and filled the room with a wave of rejuvenation. He bowed low before the group and scuttled off to help the others outside. Kel, whose cuts had been bandaged, bowed to the floor towards the general group of Tortallans. The room was quiet, the only noise the wheezing of the soldiers who had received the necessity of healing, and no less.

Her band followed suit, touching their foreheads to the ground as she did. They heard her muffled message,

"We most humbly beg your forgiveness for this most dishonorable breach of trust. For our dishonor, we surrender our lives to your mercy." Kel knew what she then had to do. Slowly she knelt on one knee and withdrew her katana. She had cleaned off most of the blood, and it shone dully. She extended it, hilt-first, towards Lord Raoul and ducked her head back down again, holding out the sword.

Before she looked down all the way, she removed her helmet and face mask, then hoped her hair would shroud her face in shadows. The flickering light helped to disguise her features as well. Slowly, she pushed her dark brown hair to one side, baring the back of her neck. The second before her eyes dropped to the ground, she saw that the faces of the Tortallans were silent and somewhat stricken.

Shame filled her. That security breach should never have happened. With that single attack, Kel may have doomed peace talks with Tortall. It was supremely dishonorable to allow any harm to come to any of the guests, and yet the Tortallans were treated to a show of violence on their first state night. If they so chose, according to the ancient laws of honor, they could behead Kel and any of her group for the carelessness they had displayed. Kel heard Tatsuya lay his precious mage-book onto the floor before him, and beside him, Fredrik's long katana had slid out of its sheath as well. Akane had also extended her arm sais for punishment. Kel felt two hands grip her katana's hilt.

It was lifted gently from her grip, and she heard the whistling sound of the blade slicing through the air.

"Nice balance," she heard Raoul mutter. She felt its icy blade rest gently on her neck, a sliver of ice on her exposed skin. She repressed her shiver as she felt it press in, then whistle as it was swung upwards. She shut her eyes tightly, and felt the breeze preceding the blade slice her neck. There was a sharp sting as the edge of the katana scored the back of her neck, but no more. A single drop of blood welled up, then slid down around her neck to drip to the ground. She felt Raoul approach, and quickly placed her face-mask and helmet back on. Raoul pulled her gently to her feet. Her group proceeded to follow her lead, and swiftly sheathed their weapons.

"That was for being insufferably honorable. You are needed, you saved us, why would we kill you? Anyhow, it would be a terrible waste of time." Raoul's voice was stern, but his eyes twinkled. "I nicked you for that code of honor you uphold, and so that you wouldn't bother me about it later. Now, we have some more important things to do, like cleaning this up." Kel nodded briefly, then snapped to attention.

"If you would like, most honorable guests, I and my Elite shall escort you to your wing, and ensure your safety for the night." Daine stepped to the front.

"We would appreciate that, honorable warriors. The night is long, I believe that we would all do well for a few hours of sleep." Kel bowed deeply, and motioned for Akane to assist the tired animal-mage. She propped her up, and Daine smiled weakly at the short, sturdy girl. Tatsuya and Fredrik flanked Numair and supported him on each side. The lanky mage was white as paper, and could barely stagger out of the room. The magic-battle with the necromancer had drained him. Kel ordered the rest of the Elite to assist and carry those who could not walk on their own. Forming a strange procession, they made their way to the Visitor's wing.

Kel spent the rest of the night ensuring that there was no harm lurking in corners, ready to pounce. She led search parties through the Palace grounds to secure the area. At the East Wall, which led into the lower area of the city, she found a group of waiting mercenaries. It didn't take her much to convince them to leave, after showing them the head of the Scanran who had attacked the palace. Someone had chopped it off the body and brought it along. It was distasteful, but it forced the mercenaries away. Later on she found a squad of Scanrans at a tavern in the slums. They were lying in wait for the Scanran, their leader. When they heard that the Scanran was dead, they fought, and nearly started a fire that surely would have burned down half the city. Kel and two squads of Yamani soldiers managed to quell the violence and capture the remaining survivors.

After hearing the late-night reports of several spies that there were Scanran wolf-boat sightings along the coasts, she dispatched several ships and several companies of soldiers to clear out the raiders. After sending out the most urgent orders, she ordered another sweep of the grounds by a fresh crew of soldiers. She ordered the palace officials to do a thorough background check of all individuals hired and currently in employment. She requested that several mages track down the source of the security breach. By the time all was said and done, it was mid-day.

As she trudged to her quarters, she heard a palace messenger come up behind her. The rest of her band had been sent to their rooms for a few hours sleep, and Kel was looking forward to a bath and a nap. She felt the grime of the Lower City in her pores, and she knew that she looked horrible- after a quick face-wash earlier in the day, she decided to hold off the washing when she saw that the water, after one splashing, was a murky reddish brown. She felt tired and beaten all over- Kel had remained in her armor for the entire night and morning. The palace messenger quickly caught her attention and cleared his throat. Kel wheeled around and nodded in response to his floor-deep bow.

"Most Honorable Phoenix, the Emperor asks for your presence in the Mages' Quarter. I am to lead you to him. He presents this as his token of identification." The servant handed Kel a note, scrawled on a scrap of paper. It read,

_Suzumi, I need you to come- this is most definitely me, Nokoru. Have Inkjet check if you're not sure. The bodies have been Magically preserved, and I'd like you to come examine the mage's personal effects. N.I._ Kel sighed.

"Well, lead on."

The bodies, preserved by an anti-decay spell in the Mages' Quarter, were lying on a long metal table. The room was icy cold, to aid in the preservation, and magical signs for health and prevention of disease were everywhere. Kel, dressed in a long white robe and wearing a cloth mask over her face, entered. She had been told to take a cleansing bath in the adjoining rooms. Though the water had been cold, Kel was glad to scrub off most of the grime and blood. The hem of her white robe was spelled with runes for health, sanitation, and disease repulsion.

The Emperor, looking just a little less haggard than she, was examining the bodies alongside his chief medical mage. Kel strode up and bowed respectfully to both. Nokoru looked rueful.

"I'm sorry I had to drag you away, but we thought that this might be important." The necromancer's body was laid out, and beside it, his disembodied head. Kel felt the bile rising in her already raw throat. The tongue was swollen and distended, and bore a mark that Kel was horrified to see. The twining symbol of the Association of the Dragon was tattooed on the man's tongue. The emperor continued.

"We went through his papers. His name is Blayce of Galla. I sent out my scribes and they brought me several reports- he was a rogue necromancer working with Maggur Rathausak. He was the one powering and controlling the metal machines. I'm not sure yet, but my chief scrying spies have revealed that many, if not all of the metal monsters fell to waste with the death of the necromancer." Kel nodded. She suspected as much. "Furthermore, I have dispatched my men, accompanied by Dragon-lord Teriyama to reach Blayce's fort and burn it to the ground. I have the utmost confidence that none of his secrets shall escape." The mage spoke up.

"The cut that you made was fatal. The entrance wound is seen here. You crushed his throat and severed all ties to the brain. There was no chance of survival. But of course, I'm sure that was your point. The personal effects are here." The mage held out a tray. On it was a small notebook- the mage's journal, a shiny pendant, a small dagger, and a vial of what Kel assumed to be poison. The mage spoke once more. "The other man was proven to be Stenmun, thought to be simply Blayce's lapdog. But you may not be surprised to see this." The mage drew back the coarse white sheet over Stenmun's body. The man was naked underneath, but what surprised Kel the most was the huge burn scar covering his chest. It was in the design of the Association. The mage rolled the body over with his gloved hands, and it was revealed that the same sign was burned into his back.

"This man had probably been broken to the Association by force. I know of a body-possessing magic that some forms of demons and Chaos creatures use to take a mortal form. It seems as though Stenmun was one such, possibly possessed by a higher-level demon or spirit summoned by the necromancer. You can tell by this-" The mage pried open the dead man's jaws with a large tool. His teeth were all pointed, and the inside of the mouth was a putrid yellow. The necromancer resumed speaking. "The mouth is often the entrance place of a demon or spirit. If you were to open up this Scanran with a blade, you would see that all of his internal organs and body cavity is this same color. At death, the spirit attempts to escape, and reveals its more demon-ish qualities, such as the pointed teeth and longer, talon-like nails." It was true, Kel saw. The fingernails of the Scanran were long and yellow, and pointed to deadly tips. "Of course, the spirit never escapes. You helped to contain it by carving the Justice symbols into Stenmun's hands." Kel nodded. The Emperor spoke up.

"Here are the Scanran's personal effects." On a similar tray sat two daggers, both spelled with runes that Kel couldn't decipher. They emanated a sickly yellow light. Kel's gaze flicked over them with a barely contained shudder of disgust. Beside the daggers was a small medallion bearing a simplified Association crest. Kel picked at it with a sterilized medical dagger point and flipped it over. There were no marks of magic on it- it was a plain pendant. When she flipped it over, Kel found, underneath, a single braid of fine brown hair, looped into a circle. She pointed at it.

"I assume you've done your history-scrying. What is this?" The mage shook his head sorrowfully.

"It is the hairs of Stenmun's daughter. She died, we believe, from a raid, when a clan that hated Maggur's attacked Stenmun's tribe. We believe Stenmun's tribe was one affiliated with Maggur. The combined forces of the enemy clan wiped out the tiny tribe's warriors. Stenmun and one other survived. The other went mad, Stenmun's mind was broken. At least, that's what we believe. There was nothing to be gained from scrying further." Kel nodded in satisfaction, then bowed deeply to the Emperor. He scrubbed a hand over his eyes and waved her off.

"Go, go. We'll discuss this tomorrow. I'm ordering you to get a good night's sleep. I'll have my Sensechal look into any other matters and direct them to the third in command, General Kagiyama. He just got in from a three-month medical leave. I'll put him to use organizing all this- it's something that won't wear at his wound, just his brain. It'll put him back into shape, mentally at least. Don't worry. If anything drastic happens, I promise I'll wake you. But for now, go get some rest." Kel bowed gratefully, then straightened and looked Nokoru in the eye.

"I also am politely and sternly requesting that you get some rest. If you do not, I will have my Elite tie you to the bed. Understand, Imonoyama-sensei?" The emperor chuckled dryly.

"Do not worry, Baura-san. I'm going, I'm going!" The two left the room and parted in the hallway. Warm baths and deep sleep awaited.


	27. Leaving

Chapter 27:Leaving 

The next few days passed in a blur. Kel was caught up in the organization of Palace Life. Of all the confusing days, she remembered declining an invitation to dinner with the Tortallan Embassy, and finishing up the new Palace security measures. After careful review of the protection spells, the Emperor found a simple loophole in the set of runes. The Gifted symbols of the spells read, "Let no Human or Immortal enter with foul intention."

Because the monsters weren't exactly human or immortal, they managed to slip past the wards. Stenmun had been taken over by a Chaos Creature, which was neither human or immortal, and the mage, Blayce had worked for months to bypass the intricately woven magics to permit himself entrance. Kel and the Emperor organized a new system of security.

Kel and the Emperor's spymaster worked hard to stabilize the spy network abroad, and preparations were being made for the return ride of the Tortallan Embassy. One afternoon, in the lull between business meetings, the Emperor met Kel for tea. As they settled comfortably onto their cushions and were waited upon by a young geisha, who, after performing and pouring tea, left, the Emperor gently brought up the subject of the Embassy's departure. In reality, the conversation began like,

"Baura-san, you know that the Embassy is leaving in two weeks." Kel, sipping at her green tea, nodded.

"I am aware of that, Nokoru-san." The Emperor set his tea-cup down decidedly.

"My advisors and I have decided that we would like you and your band to be part of the Elite guard accompanying the Yamani Embassy to Tortall. Of course, you would be very important as an ambassador as well. But your main job is to speak briefly on my behalf- I'll write a speech for you- and attend to whatever Phoenix-y business that you have been itching to get to. After the main body of speeches and fripperies, feel free to wander from the main body- they'll do fine without you."

Kel sipped at her tea, almost apprehensively. She wasn't too surprised at the offer- in fact, she had been expecting it. And Kel knew that the Emperor always got what he wished. In fact, she couldn't see any down sides to this, except for having to leave her plush new suite. _.:Well, you were getting spoiled, Lady Kel. I mean, really. A real warrior sleeps only in a nice bed for a month- then you must go and re-acclimate yourself to a bed of stones and dirt:.__**Very true, Inkjet. **__Plus, we need to get you back to Tortall, eh? __**If we are to fulfill this damn prophecy, I suppose we must. Alright. **_Kel returned her gaze to the Emperor's.

"I will make sure that the proper preparations are made, Nokoru-san."

Kel was caught up in yet another flurry of decision-making. She finalized all of the spy-network information with the Lieutenant Spymaster, organized a new training regimen for the Elite, gave scattered orders to Kasumi about what was to be done with the Order. She ordered three executions of people whom she was completely sure had been working with the Association. After their deaths, the Dragon crest was seen on their belongings or body. She also worked with her fellow ambassadors and the Princess, Shinkokami. To Kel's delight, one of the Princess's ladies would be her old friend, Lady Yukimi noh Daiomaru.

Finally the day to set sail arrived. Kel was surprised to learn that she and her group had been herded onto the _Morning Sage_- one of the more inconspicuous boats in the veritable fleet that was being amassed for the safety of the ambassadors and Princess. Kel ordered all of her things brought below decks, including her group's two sets of armor apiece, their important weapons, and their chests of clothes. Inkjet promised Kel that he could materialize and bring back whatever she wished from her suite if she was in desperate need of it.

As Kel strode onto the docks, she fought through the masses that came to throng around the royalty. Once she managed to get to the ship, she rested against the rail for a moment, observing the roiling mob below. She felt a hearty thump against her back and turned, only to embraced heartily by the now-Captain, Vani.

"There you are, you young scamp!" Vani was tall, a scant two inches shorter than Kel's six feet three inches. Kel hugged the other woman back a bit awkwardly.

"It is very nice to see you, Captain. How goes things?" she asked. The woman motioned around her, a flush to her cheeks as she grinned widely.

"All is in order. My crew is the best to be found. Your things are where you asked them to be. This is certainly a grand day for setting off!" Kel nodded, a smile tickling the edges of her lips. The Copper Islander was certainly enjoying herself. _.:She is most definitely the best person for this ship. She loves it with all her heart.:.__ That's for certain. _ The sun was shining brightly down, a slight breeze to be felt off the mainland. The air was crisp, and Kel could feel her spirits lifting. Perhaps the voyage would be better than she thought. She glanced swiftly from side to side, scanning the members of the crew. The hopeful bubble that was rising in her throat disappeared when it was obvious that Marcus wasn't there. _**Maybe he found work on another ship- healers are in great demand.**__Oh, nonsense Kel. And don't worry- it's a good day! Who needs a pretty boy when we can have the world at our disposal??_ Kel shoved Brie back. _**Don't say that! Gods- I actually was trying to convince myself that he wasn't here and I ought to be fine with it. You're not supposed to agree with me!**_ Brie didn't reply. She sneaked a look around one last time. Suddenly, a voice in her ear asked,

"Hey- looking for someone?" Kel nearly jumped a foot off the ground. She got her feet under her and swiveled around, only to come eye-to-eye with a pair of dancing blue ones. In reality, Marcus was only an inch taller than she. Kel felt Brie laughing her ethereal head off. Inkjet was puzzled. _.:What is going on? Keladry- your heart rate is speeding up. Are you alright?:. __Oh, she's fine. She is absolutely, amazingly fine. In fact, I'm sure that this is the best she's felt for a long while. __**Both of you, be quiet!**_ Kel ordered crossly. She fixed a strained smile on her face as she tried to calm her racing heart.

"Oh, no… I was just checking yo- er, the perimeter out. Just getting my bearings." Kel inwardly slapped herself repeatedly. Marcus grinned and brushed a lock of now-auburn hair from his eyes.

"I see. So, how are you?" Kel relaxed a little more.

"I'm fine. I see you're still stationed with the _Morning Sage_. I haven't heard from you in a while." Marcus pushed his hair back again. This time, the gesture was more of embarrassment.

"Well, I've just been- busy. I did a lot of self-exploration this year. I took some time off, that sort of thing. I traveled up to the Roof of the World and back down to Carthak, for some leg exercise. It was very enlightening." Kel nodded, concealing her dismay behind her polite Yamani mask. He was obviously keeping something from her.

"So…" the ensuing strained silence was broken by the arrival of Fredrik. He came up behind Kel and poked her shoulder. When she turned, he bowed respectfully to her and Marcus. Clearing his throat, he asked,

"I say, Lady Baura- have you any idea of where we're to bed?" Kel smiled at him, partially in relief, and partially from an evil pleasure she took from her answer. The boy unconsciously stepped back.

"We'll be sleeping belowdecks, with the crew. If you'd like, you could get a ride with Peachblossom. It's drier, but I can't guarantee your safety." Fredrik made a face and bowed stiffly, then walked quickly away. Marcus guffawed loudly at the boy's retreating back, and Kel shook her head.

"That Fredrik… Gods, he has been spoiled by sleeping in the Palace. But it is good for him to rest before we reach Tortall. I fear that we are on the edge of a great Storm. What happens now will determine the fate of the world." Kel felt her brows come together and her face darken. Marcus turned back to her, his face equally grim.

"Perhaps it is just Mariner's superstition, but I feel something in the air. Something is happening- I can agree with you on that." But his face cleared and he smiled his infectious smile. "But no-let us look to the voyage ahead. Worrying will get us nowhere. Look, we are to lead the fleet. Such prestige for this tiny _Morning Sage_!" Kel grinned back at him, enlightened by his words. It _would_ be best to look to the present, instead of the future. At the very least, it was a happy time.

Tatsuya sat in a corner of the deck, away from all the bustling of the crew and the loading and unloading of cargo. He stared at the pages of his book. In green, curlicue letters, the words, _Chapter 1_ came into being on the swirling page. Every day that he opened it, a new thing or image appeared to him. But they were all just the title page and introduction to this moment. The actual beginning of the book! Tatsuya held its edges tightly, as to not drop it or lose his place. _Finally,_ he said to himself. _Finally!_

Below the curling letters was a block of tight, black script in a language that Tatsuya didn't understand. He pounded his fist down on the deck beside him, trying to contain his anger. The book, as if sensing his frustration, glowed a bit and suddenly the text changed to something resembling Old Thak. Tatsuya shook his head, but hopefully this time, and whispered into the spine,

"Yamani. It is my home tongue. If not, use Tortallan Common. But- Yamani." The book flickered, and now neat rows of Yamani script rolled over the page. Tatsuya grinned and began to read.

_The Mastery of the Arts- a compilation of many sources, to discover one thing and one thing only. The true control of the Gifted Arts in all ways. To not only specialize in one source of the Gift- for example, only working as a war mage or healer, but to be Master of all. This rank can be attained by only a few. The following course in mental discipline will try the hardiest souls, but only the best will make it. You have not been the first to pick up this book. You will not be the last. And you will probably perish in the pursuit of the Mastery. But all is gain, for the Cycle of Life will begin anew, and all things will grow._

Tatsuya was slightly puzzled and more than slightly annoyed. This was worse than a pompous senator! It was a pompous book. Add to that the fact that not many had completed this "training." He fixed a determined look on his face and continued to read.

_But the fact that this book has chosen you speaks well for your character. But do not be overconfident, young grasshopper. There is much yet to learn. First, we begin with a different sort of meditation…_ Tatsuya banged his forehead with his hand. Not more meditation! Oh well, he thought, if that's what it takes… With a steely resolve, he continued to read, oblivious of his surroundings.

Akane grunted with effort as she dropped the last crate of armor into the hold. With a polite salute to the crew member who was carrying the other end, she climbed to the deck. After seeing the roiling masses of people, however, she ducked back down to the deck with the horses. Hoshi was already strapped in, her feet just off of the ground. Peachblossom, in a similar harness, was angrily treading the air. Akane ducked into Hoshi's box.

From within her training robes she drew a small book. Flipping to a blank page, she drew out a thin stick of charcoal encased in a wood holder. Pensively, she tapped the charcoal to her chin, then wrote out a short poem.

_Crowned with pure white wings_

_Robed in rocking brown timbers,_

_Through rippling blue silk_

She sat then, sketching out a tiny picture of the _Morning Sage_, as she imagined it at sea. Its sails were unfurled with a rough sketch of sun-lines in the distance. As she sketched, she thought about this current journey she was embarking upon. Leaving the Islands was a step she had never thought to make. But she had never really made plans for her future- it was usually just a struggle to survive from day to day. As she finished up the last bits of shading, she heard a clattering of boots. Fredrik glanced inside Hoshi's box, where Akane sat.

"Come on, we're about to set off. Don't want to miss the festivities!" Akane covered a sigh of resignation and dragged herself to her feet and out the box. She followed the boistrous young man from the room, plastering a smile on her face. All she really wanted to do was sit in the horsy semi-darkness and draw or write. But she had a job to fulfill, and that was to remain with Lady Kel and stand guard for whatever was needed. She blinked back sunspots as Fredrik flung open the hatch and clambered up the ladder. It would be a long journey, she decided.

The _Morning Sage_ set sail with unusual panoply. As it was part of the fleet, many blessings from absolute strangers were bestowed upon its weathered hull. Light danced merrily off of the wavelets as they gently slapped at its semi-barnacled sides, and small children rowed their tiny boats alongside the great sides of the ships of the fleet. Vendors were taking the opportunity to sell their wares on the docks, displaying their most flamboyant and valuable items for sale. Members of the city guard were patrolling the docks, stony-faced but with a twinkle in their eyes.

Kimono-clad women and young ladies were sedately making their way through the crowds, like bright flowers in a midday lily pond. The occasional samurai and entourage could be seen, as well as many Palace workers on their days off. A vendor stood with his colorful cart, selling silk fans and sword coverings. Paper lanterns, unlit as of now, were dancing in the gentle breeze that came off the mainland. Children ran in groups down the street, threading through their elders, carrying fresh-baked buns or candied ice treats.

Elderly Yamanis were assisted with respect through the crowds, walking past the children and their multi-colored silk kites, the small images of koi and birds gliding skillfully on the wind with their silk wings. Music from street musicians floated through the air, and the air was scented lightly with sea salt and flowers, a strange but pleasant mix. Kel breathed in deeply, resting her hands lightly on the railing.

As her fingers traced the deep brown whorls of the wood, she remembered back to that stormy night on the _Morning Sage_ when she almost fell overboard. She glanced up at the off-white sails and remembered that torn piece that nearly knocked her to her death. Behind her, Akane drew close, a silent shadow.

"Is there anything you need, young Kinomoto?" Kel asked, her voice calm. Kel felt Akane give a start.

"Nothing, Lady Keladry. I was just coming up on deck for the fresh air." Kel quirked one eyebrow.

"Oh really? Akane, if you're having second doubts about this-" The girl shook her head slowly from side to side.

"No, I am not, Lady Keladry. But I _have_ been thinking about what the future holds…" Her thought was interrupted by the shouting of the sailors as the sails were fully loosed, the flags flown, and the anchor weighed. The ship gave a tiny lurch forwards, and gently parted the wavelets with its passing. The ships all around were clanking and whirring with the noisy proceedings. Kel took Akane by the elbow and pulled her to a corner of the poop deck, where she sat, her legs straddling a thick railing support and her feet dangling over the edge. Akane took the spot beside her.

"And what do you think your future holds, young Kinomoto?" Akane stared down at the waves pensively.

"I'm not sure, Lady Kel. But I know that it will be a future far from my upbringing." Kel leaned back, grabbing hold of the support her legs straddled. She raised her face to the sun, feeling its warmth flood every part of her.

"It is good to know that you think of your future. But always think of today as well. There is only one today, and an infinite number of tomorrows." Kel shook her head ruefully from side to side. "What am I saying? I sound like one of my stodgy old masters. You understand my point, though?" Akane nodded and leaned forward against the railing support. Kel rested a hand on her student's back.

"Come with me. I'll show you the best part of the ship." Akane got to her feet, trailing after Lady Kel. The two of them reached the main mast. Kel looked up at the ropes and cracked her knuckles in a very unladylike fashion. Without further ado, she began to climb up to the crow's nest. A new crewmember was up there and waved cheerfully at the ascending women.

"Ladies Ahoy! It's my lucky day!" Kel waved him off with a laugh and continued to climb up the webbed rigging. Akane climbed, panther-like, behind her. Once Kel reached the crow's nest, she hoisted herself into the small bucket-like space and scooted over to make room for Akane. Akane slithered in, pressed in on both sides by Kel and the crewman. He deftly turned and presented a hand to each of them.

"Pleasure to be of service, ladies. I'm Donovan McCleary. Gallan by birth, sea-rat by spirit! I'll be headin' down now to make my report. Just make sure to keep things ship-shape up here!" With a cheery nod he descended. Akane leaned over the railing at a precarious angle, watching the work below. People were retreating from the rails as the land grew fainter in the distance. Kel pulled her young student back with a semi-nervous laugh.

"Whoa there, Akane; I don't want to be cleaning up bits of Splattered Student from the deck. This is where I first got over my fear of heights. It's very peaceful up here, and usually the crewman on duty isn't too talkative. Usually there isn't even a crewman on duty. We're part of the Imperial Fleet- basically an armada of Imperial ships- so it's hardly likely that pirates will attack. All of the Emperor's ships are equipped with sea-battle machines of war, and we have many small fighter ships that can harry any pirate galley." Akane turned to Kel.

"I see. Tell me, Lady Keladry, when you were a young girl, what were your dreams? What did you always aspire to be?" Kel rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"Well, as I'm sure you've figured out, I'm the Keladry of Mindelan that got kicked out of Tortallan Knight training. And forget about nodding and bowing and murmuring polite nothings- you doubtlessly have your own opinions on the matter. Either way, I ended up in the Islands. I thought that I had no dreams to turn to- after all, this dream of becoming Lady Knight stuck with me for my whole childhood. But I wouldn't give up Phoenix-ing for any Knight position any longer. I'm so blessed to be placed in such an important position, where my dream is to make the lives of everyone just a little bit better." Kel stared out over the water, to the ships that were sailing just out of reach. "My dreams have changed, but my reasons haven't. And I think, for me, that's the important part. Your dreams could, and probably will change, but your core shouldn't. But that's me waxing philosophic." Akane smiled her crooked smile.

"No, lady Kel. It's quite alright. It's good to see that I'm not the only one with a rambling train of thought sometimes. I can see why you enjoyed the view from up here. It's very private." Kel could see Akane's gaze go unfocused. She smiled a small smile of her own and climbed stealthily down from the crow's nest. The only sound Akane heard, her eyes closed, was the cry of the distant seagulls.

Tatsuya pored over the pages of his book. During the hustle and bustle of the disembarking, he had gradually been relocated to a salt pork barrel on deck. Perched on its sealed, thick lid, he struggled to understand what was being revealed to him. A small sketch of a man was shown, with blue lines outlining the path that his Gift traveled in his body. Branching from the head, the blue arrows led directly to the heart and through the lungs, two main branches spreading to the arms and fingertips. The rest of the blue squiggles dispersed through the body evenly. The book described how the flow of too much Gift would drain the brain and cause undue stress on the heart- the reason why so many people died when they overtaxed themselves. Eventually, the very blood would be used to carry the flood of Gift, and in the carrying, the blood would lose all useful function and virtually "dry up" in the veins, causing a gradual death.

Tatsuya shuddered as he read an example of one such death. Most cases were gruesome ones. There was one exemption, though. Some Gifted masters managed the art of total balance- over years of training they would change the course of the Gift in their bodies. A master would subtly direct all flow to the hair-like capillaries in the skin, so that when the Gift was used, the person would glow with the light of their Gift. Because the Gift did not have to flow through the heart due to the mental adjustments, the master could draw his Gift from his own pores and shape it outside the body. Tatsuya looked wonderingly down at his hands. Imagine- a mage floating on air, glowing with an inner fire and commanding his surroundings. The idea was entrancing. He shook his head with a rueful glance at the book.

Slowly he folded the book's covers closed, tracing the outside lettering with his fingers. It was truly amazing that he had been granted this amazing piece of magic. The book seemed to hum in his hands. He packed it away before his readings would carry him away. Last time he had been caught up in a book, he had skipped two meals and gotten a beating for missing a mission briefing. And that last book was hardly as interesting as this one.

Tucking the leatherbound volume into a pocket in his loose trousers, Tatsuya looked around for something to do. He tapped into his semi-mental link with his twin. Surprised at what he sensed, he looked up, and up, and up, into the crows nest high above him. He could dimly make out a female figure against the bright sunlight. Shrugging, he turned his view to the deck. Fredrik was sitting on a crate, playing cards with a sailor. Tatsuya hoped that they weren't playing for money, or Lady Kel would be intensely… irritated. To the left, he could see a broad-shouldered young man, a few years older than himself, staring out to see. The auburn-haired man stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Lady Kel. Tatsuya smothered a grin. So the Lady wasn't above romantic feelings after all! With a sigh, the Yamani turned to go belowdecks. Before he did, though, a glimmer of smoke caught his eye. He turned towards the poop deck.

There, just before the railing on the first level of the deck stood a small iron stove. Inside its potbelly swung a small pot, dangling centimetres from the hot coals. A large man, his white apron dotted with colorful food stains and smears of charcoal-dust, pulled the pot from its iron stove of a prison and dipped a spoon in it. Reaching into an odd container at his belt, he single-handedly opened a small paper package of herbs and dumped them in. The remains of the paper package went into the stove.

After some vigorous stirring, the cook seemed to deem the contents of the pot ready for examination. He spooned some up and let the spoonful flow back into the pot, his red-bearded face examining the "stew" for lumps. Tatsuya, curious, approached.

"My humble apologies for interrupting your work, but may I ask what exactly you are making, sir?" Tatsuya attempted in Common. His voice was thickly accented, but understandable. The cook smiled at him and replied in fluent, barely accented Yamani,

"A very important stew for use here on the ship! Would you care for a taste?" Tatsuya smiled briefly.

"That would be much appreciated, sir." The man scooped up a ladle-ful for Tatsuya to drink and handed it over. Tatsuya sipped quickly from its metal edge. He reeled back when the combined tastes of rosemary, saffron, garlic, onion, and basil assaulted his tastes. He gagged and spat, struggling to clear the taste from his mouth. The oily taste lingered until the big man pushed a glass of ice-cold tea at him. Tatsuya accepted it, looked at it quickly, and sipped then gulped the rest of the glass down. It fully washed away the oily flavor. He glared searchingly at the man. His red-bearded bushy face was cracked into a smile, and he guffawed loudly. Tatsuya, his pride injured, glared at him.

"It is most discourteous to trick a fellow guest like that, sir." The man pounded Tatsuya's back in a cheerful manner.

"Oh gods, boy. You're a mage, aren't you? I can see your Gift stretching out all around you! I thought you knew this was a mage-oil! The ladle-ful was for you to sample with your Gift- if you were to put your Gift into the pot, you'd be power-scalded for eternity. I'm a mage of all trades. Friedan Tryllan, but most call me Big Dan. Come here, can you name some of the things I've put in here?" Tatsuya was more interested now. He smiled ruefully and glanced into the pot. On closer inspection, the rim of the blackened iron pot was covered in etched runes for protection and containment. Focusing his view with his Gift, Tatsuya could see glowing runes disappearing and sinking into the bubbly amber liquid within. He scratched his head thoughtfully, dropping all Yamani stoniness in his curiosity about the oil stew.

"Rosemary?" he asked. Dan smiled and nodded.

"Aye, what else?" Tatsuya peered closer.

"Well…"

Fredrik stretched his arms, weary from joining the crew in loading the crates and barrels. They didn't need his help, but he was bored and his companions had disappeared to different parts of the ship. He leaned against the starboard rail, watching the fluttering pennants on the ship beside the _Morning Sage_, called the _Dawn Star_. Bigger than the _Morning Sage_, it carried the food for the journey, aside from the food already on the ships. Its sparse crew was a motley mix of Immortals and humans. Fredrik watched a spidren clamber deftly up the rigging to tie down a corner of the mainsail.

The sea breeze assaulted his upturned face with the fresh sea salt scent. Fredrik rubbed at his blond stubble meditatively as he watched Tatsuya stirring a pot of some magical substance. Akane was holed up in the crow's nest, poring over some terribly obscure line of a haiku, probably. That girl was a mystery to Fredrik. No matter what he did to try and get her attention, she shrugged it off with the placid look of all Yamanis.

The girl confused him. Usually he could get whoever he wanted- for the common street girls, muscle and a flash of coin was enough to convince them to stay, if only for a night. For the students at the Order, they were focused on learning but also welcomed a night shared. But all of his… interests had been fleeting. This Akane intrigued him. Perhaps he would simply observe her for now.

His mind flicked back to his time at the Order. It was all he had ever known, really. When he was just a child, an enemy Scanran tribe had raided the market village he and his parents lived at. Most of his clansmen had died, and the living were sold as slaves. The Order spy in the area had watched the battle and deftly pulled young Fredrik from the carnage. Once the spy had taken Fredrik to a deepwoods Order safehouse, he had returned to try for the other survivors. Unfortunately, the pillaging clan had taken, burned, and left. Fredrik had been taken to the Order for teaching. Now the only thing he had ever known was being taken from him. The feeling fizzing around in his chest was different than any discernable emotion. He was sorrowful at leaving, yet expectant of what was to come. Something in him called out for a place to call his own, yet another part longed for travel and adventure.

He pulled a dagger from the top of his boot and tested its blade with the pad of his thumb. Frowning, he realized that the blade was somewhat dull. He dug it in against the rail and watched as the paint scratched underneath it. He absentmindedly picked at a few loose paint chips with its tip and flicked them overboard. The tiny flecks of color floated down, drifted for a brief moment, then disappeared into the depths of the ocean. Someone laid a hand on his shoulder. Fredrik didn't bother turning around, already knowing there was only one person he couldn't sense coming. Kel spoke softly.

"I am sorry, Fredrik, to take you from here so suddenly." Fredrik stared out at the sea.

"You know, Lady Kel- er, Suzumi, I think that it's alright." Kel came around to lean on the rail at his left.

"We are all searching, Fredrik. I am in pursuit of what the sages have been trying to define since the beginning of time. As are you. We both look towards that elusive "destiny" that forever escapes our grasp." She trailed off, only her eyes showing her thoughtfulness. Fredrik shook his head.

"Perhaps in that reaching, we find it. Maybe we are always reaching for something that isnt there, yet how we search and what happens as we do _is_ our destiny." Fredrik scratched his head, coming out of his reverie. "But I'm just the grunt warrior, waving my sword around and shouting for a rematch. My philosophy doesn't count for much." Kel smiled slowly, her eyes mysterious, then patted his shoulder.

"Ah, but it does. You will become a master one day, Fredrik. And in your teachings, I feel you will make the world a better place." Kel retreated back, leaving Fredrik to ponder the weight of their conversation.

_**You know, I think that he's going to be a great leader one day. **__.:He must watch his pride:.__ I think that the first beating Kel gave him is a step in the right direction. I can sense something in him that feels… mature. Certainly he is growing from that spoiled brat we saw first at the Order. __**I feel promise, at the least. But this speculation is too much for right now. I think I'll go and speak with Captain Vani about the journey.**_

Kel found Vani in her quarters beneath the poop deck. Walking past the formal table and chairs in the main area, she entered Vani's cabin through a door to the back of the room. Everything in the rather small room was bolted down, from the somewhat elegant bed to the desk and cabinets. The drawers all had locks, and one weapons cabinet was secured with at least three locks. It seemed as if the entire back of the room was windows, several panes of glass well secured and locked tightly with magical runes. Heavy wine colored drapes were pulled to the side to allow light to enter. The captain was at her desk, sitting on her bolted-down chair. She saw Kel and motioned for her to sit at the single chair facing the desk.

"What is it you need?" she asked, putting away her quill. Kel sat and attempted to pull her chair in comfortably. Vani smiled wryly as Kel quit fidgeting and sat straight up in the bolted-down chair. She addressed Kel once more. "I always like to keep my crewmen on alert. The chair helps." Kel shook her head, hiding her amusement.

"I was wondering what exactly happens after this journey. Are you going to be staying at Port Caynn?" Vani nodded and rubbed her temples tiredly.

"Yes, we will be. I have some trading to do, and the crew needs a shore break. So we may be staying from anywhere from a week to two months. It's all up to the Progress." Kel slapped a hand to her forehead.

"Damn, I forgot. How could I have forgotten? I just hope that my portion of influence in the Progress isn't too overbearing. I mean, honestly. Some diplomatic things can curdle blood." Vani laughed at the expression on Kel's face.

"Go on, get out of here. Enjoy the fresh air. About half of the contingent of the fleet is going to be going back to the Islands. It's just plain inefficient to sail in such large groups. So it will be us, the Princess's ship, the false flagship, and two guardboats. It makes me uneasy to be with so many ships. We're a sailing pirate target. But the Emperor made sure that all pirates are clear of the area. By the grace of the Gods, we'll be there with a two days to spare." Kel nodded and stood.

"Thanks Captain. I'll be taking my leave now." Vani waved her hand dismissively at her, her focus back on her paperwork.

"Go on, swab some decks or something." Kel closed the door behind her with a slight smile.


	28. Advancing

Chapter 28: Advancing

Vani stormed angrily into her chambers, where Kel was sitting. Kel looked up from the map of the Scanran coast she was studying. The shorter woman, seething, stalked over to her desk. She glanced at Kel.

"Give me a moment, please." Kel waved a hand at her, and Vani started scribbling onto sheet after sheet of paper. After about three sheets of scrap paper, Vani seemed considerably calmer. When Kel approached, however, the Islander looked up at her with angry eyes. Kel calmly rolled her map back up and slid it into Vani's water-tight map case. Settling down into a bolted-down chair, Kel asked,

"Should I send someone for some water?" Vani shook her head, her lips pursed. Reaching into a drawer on her desk, she withdrew an opaque flask. She shook it to listen for liquid, and when she heard the sloshing, uncorked the bottle and held the bottle to her lips. Making a face, she corked the bottle and slid it away. Kel looked at Vani, her face not betraying her slight amusement.

"I thought you didn't drink." Vani rubbed her temples.

"I don't. That stuff is suicide in a bottle. You have to inhale it." Kel leaned onto one armrest of her chair.

"So why are you needing this stuff?"

"The damn captains tell me that we're supposed to leave the entourage and go ahead to inform Port Caynn of our arrival. But that means leaving the Princess with one less ship as protection against pirates." Kel shrugged, appearing nochalant.

"We are the fastest ship, right now. So if we go ahead and finalize all the arrangements, things will go smoothly from there." Kel had studied the design of the _Morning Sage_. It was not a squat sort of trader vessel, in fact, it was sleeker and more well-designed than most ships. Its cargo hold was cleverly designed to hold its maximum capacity, while also securing a sleeping quarters for the sailors. It was still a midsize ship, however. Kel had read, and had heard from the crew, that the original captain of the _Morning Sage_ had been a pirate and smuggler, but had slowly turned his smuggling business into a freelance legal trading organization. The _Morning Sage _was the last ship of its kind, however. The ship was the fastest ship that could be spared, though. Vani, however, was still looking upset.

"That's the thing. Their reasoning makes sense, but I just can't get over the feeling that something might go wrong. We'll be setting ahead tomorrow morning, when we reach a favorable speedy current. I wish there was some other way." Kel thoughtfully placed her hand on her chin.

"Can't you relay a message from here to Port Caynn? Magically?" Vani shook her head.

"Sea water and breezes are virtually magical entities in their own right. The water is steeped with ancient magics from the dawn of creation, as well as all of the little bits and pieces they pick up from sunken ships, drowned mages, and magic from across the sea. Not to mention the mess of magic that comes from thousands of streams and rivers rushing into the ocean. With everything swirling around in the air and water, it's impossible to get a clear magical relay from here to Tortall." Kel shrugged.

"Then we're off to Tortall?" Vani nodded, resigned.

"We're off to Tortall."

Fredrik roared with laughter at one sailor's joke. He had found allies in the men who kept the ship in working order. Akane, having overheard the lewd statement, made a disgusted sound and began her climb up the rigging to the crow's nest. Lady Kel had left the Captain's quarters about a half hour before and had begun to make sure that all cargo was stored and in place, and that the ship had enough supplies for the sail to Tortall. Kel had shooed her off when she was finished, and Akane had grabbed her sketchbook and went on deck.

After a few fruitless minutes of sketching absently, Akane returned to the deck, where her brother was sitting with the large man he had befriended earlier. A flare of red Gift arched from the man, and Tatsuya caught the light-ball. In the young man's hands, the ball turned green, and he tossed it back to Dan, who changed the ball's light to yellow. Akane watched the display from her perched position on a barrel, then began to sketch her brother as he played.

A few deft flicks of her charcoal stub brought Tatsuya's outline to life; a pose where the young man had just tossed the ball. After a few more minutes of fleshing out the image, Akane began to smudge some of the lines for a shadow effect, then added a background, foreground, and middleground around the figure. After another half hour of sketching, she leaned back contentedly and studied her drawing. Tatsuya looked young for the first time in a long time, the lines on his face were gone. The sea air and playfulness of this simple Gift-focusing activity brushed away the etched solemnity on his features. Akane tucked her charcoal away and leaned back into the other barrels for a quick doze.

Tatsuya focused his Gift intently on receiving the small light-ball Dan threw his way. With a mental flick of concentration, he caught the ball, changed the color to purple, and tossed it back in one fluid movement. Dan caught it and extinguished it with a hearty laugh.

"There you go, my lad. Now, show me how you signal 'great danger-rocks ahead' with the light-flares." The younger man focused his Gift, and after a moment, a flame of his Gift flared up at each of his wrists. Turning his right flare a bright orange and the left flare lime-green, Tatsuya quickly and efficiently moved his arms out in the three positions to indicate 'great danger-rocks ahead'. Dan nodded, satisfied. "Now, let me show you how the signal for 'surrender now.'"

Fredrik heaved with all his might against a large wooden shipping crate. The sailor at the other side of the crate grunted as it moved forward onto the ramp that was placed for it. Kel had decided to reorganize the cargo hold for maximum holding capability, while also retaining balance, should the need for greater speed arise. The _Morning Sage_ also needed some more room for the supplies that were coming on board thanks to its departure from the other ships the next day. The _Morning Sage _floated alongside the _Dawn Star_ as crewmembers passed barrels and crates of supplies to the _Morning Sage_. Both ships were anchored in the water and were steadied by the combined Gifts of all of the crewmages. He poked at Akane, who was now leaning against a barrel, rolling it along the deck..

"Hey, Kinomoto. Lady Baura wants the barrels opposite the horses' boxes and in whatever empty spaces you can fill. I'm going to go help with the last group of crates, if Lady Baura asks." He strode off towards a group of Immortal crewmen from the _Dawn Star_, pulling out a pouch of coins and pulling out two silver pieces. The spidren from the _Dawn Star _sneered.

"What? You owe me four pieces, rat." Fredrik stood his ground.

"We only played for two pieces each, Redfang!" He enforced his last words with a push to the spidren's chest. In the space of an eyeblink the spidren had unsheathed a black dagger from his belt. Holding it up to Fredrik's neck, he leaned in close enough for the young man to feel his fetid breath on his cheek.

"Watch it, boy. Pay up, or I'll be _taking_ the rest from you. Mind your elders." Fredrik, red-faced with embarrassment, pulled out two coins and shoved them at the spidren as the other _Dawn Star_ crewmembers laughed. Redfang backed slowly away, tossing the coins from one foreleg to the other while sheathing his blade. "Many thanks, whelp." With a parting feral grin, the spidren wheeled around to face the _Dawn Star_, projecting a thick strand of web to one mast. He effortlessly leaped and swung himself over, landing on the side of the ship and deftly crawling upwards. The other crewmembers wandered off to finish their jobs, leaving Fredrik to fume alone.

Kel slowly made her way down from her perch on the rigging, thoughtfully turning over what she had just seen in her head. _You know, It's not good for this sort of thing to be encouraged.__** You're telling me! How can I stop his gambling? **__.: Perhaps you should take away his monetary sources:. __**That may work for a little while, but it's just like I'm treating him as a child. Fredrik is an adult, and deserves to be treated as such. **__Fredrik is headstrong. Cut his spending money and show him that he needs to earn it. __**What about Tatsuya and Akane? **__.:Have you noticed how they avoid frivolous spendage? They have been brought up to know how to spend every coin for only what they need. Fredrik, on the other hand, has never had to limit himself. And now he is away from the cloistered halls of your Order.:. __Inkjet speaks the truth. Wait and see. Speak to him, just to remind him to stay away from his gambling. One day it may get him killed. __**And that is something I am not willing to risk**_.

Kel strode across the deck to where Fredrik stood, leaning against a mountain of crates.

"Fredrik, we need to talk." Her eyes glimmered with the faint sheen of grim steel.

"Yes, Lady Baura?" he asked. Kel decided to get to the point.

"I observed your… transaction with those men. I hope that you do not decide to do anything so foolhardy again." Fredrik winced away, then turned to look out to sea without replying. Kel took his chin in her hand and made him look at her.

"Fredrik. Our purpose here, to safeguard the Princess, is far too important for you to endanger with dangerous gambling. You are far too important. Losing your life over gambling debts is the worst way to go. Remember this, Fredrik." He stared stonily at the ground, his eyes never meeting Kel's. Fredrik's posture was rigid, and Kel could see his fists balled at his sides.

"Yes, Lady Baura." Kel nodded, appreciative of at least this bit of respect. Only time would tell what could happen now.

"Thank you." With that, she walked away towards Vani's quarters, hoping for a moment of quiet to think about the upcoming journey.

The sun arose, its shining rays lancing over the horizon in golden streaks. The _Morning Sage_ pulled away from the rest of the Princess's ships, gaining speed slowly as it continued on its journey. After a few hours, the Princess's ships were no longer in sight. Tatsuya sat on the steps up to the poop deck, reading from his book. He had just meditated before reading, which was what the _Mastery _had suggested, and was a quarter of the way through the first chapter. His eyes scanned the neat rows of Yamani characters.

_The control of simple things, such as levitation and the push or pull of something with one's Gift, is a basic idea. For some mages, this is a simple feat. For others, it is a difficult one. But no matter what course you are taking, manipulation of one's physical surroundings is an important idea. First, one must look at things on a small scale to discover how to change them on a large scale. And to look at things on a small scale, let us begin with the study of living things._

_Now, every organism, that is, a living thing, is made of many small building blocks. Just as in a building, each part has its own setup and building materials. However, the various types of building blocks, that is to say, cells, all share several common characteristics. In animals, the basic cell has these components…_

Tatsuya leaned forward, his nose nearly touching the pages, as he absorbed all he could learn about biology. He was so focused on his reading that he barely noticed the whoosh of air as Fredrik slid down the banister to his left.

Fredrik ambled over to the railing, leaning on its polished edge. He watched Akane out of the corner of his eye. The Yamani was sitting, straddling a rail support and staring out to sea.

"Hey Akane, how are you?" he asked. Akane started, then looked at him coolly.

"I am fine. How about yourself, Fredrik?" He wandered over to her.

"Eh, I'm doing good. What do you think of this mission right now? Don't you wish we were doing great things? You know, like fighting at the battlelines against the Scanrans?" Akane looked up at him.

"You would turn against your people?" Fredrik was flustered.

"They're not my people. I may have been born from them, but that doesn't make them my people." Akane nodded in acceptance of his statement and did not offer a reply. Fredrik stared out to sea once more, then, bored after a while, pushed away from the rail.

"Well, I'll be off." He wandered away belowdecks. In the cargo hold, men were playing dice. _What harm could one game do? _Fredrik asked himself. Without waiting for a reply from his ever-absent conscience, he sat down beside the sailors with a cheery hello and the statement,

"So, how much are you betting?"

Akane climbed up the rigging to the crow's nest, where she stared out to sea, wanting privacy. The wind tugged at her hair, which had been braided and pulled away from her face. Akane was accompanied only by the ship's youngest watchman, Davy Hibbert, and he was a young Tortallan who didn't really talk that much. Akane sat at the edge of the crow's nest and stared absentmindedly out to sea. After a few minutes of pondering, she pulled out a stub of charcoal from her pocket and began to sketch. Her musing about the ocean had given her a whim to draw.

Imagination took flight in her mind as she drew and made up a story about the mythical sea creature who sharpened the barnacles under the ships. Her first rough lines were slightly shaky thanks to the movement of the ship, but after a few initial mistakes, Akane began to fill in her drawing. It was a study-like sketch of one of her flights of fancy- the sea gremlin. She pursed her lips, examined it a little more closely, then shut her sketchbook after a few more touchups. She stared out to sea for a little longer, then gave a start as the young watchman gasped in surprise. She tucked her little book into her shirt and stood up to see what was bothering the boy.

He had extended his standard issue spyglass to its maximum length and was peering off to the starboard bow. Akane reached into her pocket and pulled out a glass lens that looked like a monocle with a slightly wider than normal rim. Into the rim were etched magical symbols- Tatsuya's gift for her on her fifteenth birthday. Rolling her thumb around the monocle's edge, she sharpened its focus and magnification. What she saw made her blood chill. A boat was sailing with the breeze towards them. It's flags were pure white, with the mark of a blood-red broken circle around a large bloody handprint. It was the flag of the dread pirate ship _The Hand of Hell_. Akane scrambled down the rigging as she heard Davy cry out,

"Pirate ship to starboard bow! Pirates to starboard!" Below, the people on deck sprang into action. At the helm Captain Vani shouted,

"Mages! Ready the catapults! All crew to arms! All crew to arms!" There was a great creaking sound as the crew's mages began to swivel the deck catapults into place. There were two, one at each side of the deck. Belowdecks there was the groan of Gift-wielded cannons being rolled into place. The crewmen hauled at the sails, adjusting them for best speed, and Vani stood at her place at the helm, trying to steer the _Morning Sage _into a better position. When the helmsman ran up to take her place, the Captain dashed to the weapons cabinet near the doors under the poop deck. Unlatching it with a magical and physical key, she threw open the doors and began to distribute the extra weapons stored there. It was clear to each sailor that the _Morning Sage _could not outrun _The Hand_.

Kel dashed belowdecks to where the sailors had stored the arms of her group. Kel had left the crate of their primary weapons intentionally loosened, and with a grunt and some proddings from her crowbar the slats at the top fell open. She turned to Akane, who had run in behind her, and said,

"Go fetch Tatsuya and Fredrik. We must arm." As Akane ran off, Kel gripped the pendant when it was offered by Inkjet. With a flash of light, she was suddenly clad in sturdy leather and cloth armor. A leather breastplate piece hung over her white flowing shirt. At her wrists were hardened leather forearm guards, and her boots became sturdier, with some kind of addition to the sole that gave them more traction. As with the rest of her magical gear, it was black leather with the Phoenix flame embossed in the center of the chestplate. It was probably foolish to wear leather armor on a ship, but Kel had no intention of being pushed overboard. Fredrik and Tatsuya clattered belowdecks, followed by a silent Akane. Without a word, Kel handed them their weapons.

Fredrik fastened his swordbelt around his waist, to which was attached his dagger and one-handed sword. He tugged on a hardened brown leather chestplate similar to what Kel wore. Tatsuya gripped his staff, but also grabbed a long, curved sword made especially for him. It was shaped almost like a katana, but with a sort of angular guard and a shorter blade. This he tucked into his belt. Akane always had weapons on her person, but to this arsenal she included two sais in wrist sheaths, a long knife at her belt, and an extra pouch of shuriken. Kel herself grabbed a Gryphon and a dueling knife. She made sure that all of her extra weapons, like the knife in her boot top, the knives in their wrist-sheaths, the knife secured at the holder hanging at the back of her neck, and the poisoned shukusen thrust in her other boot were secured, then turned to her charges.

Without a word, they ran towards the hatch, climbing up one after another with Kel at the lead. They clustered together on the deck of the suddenly silent ship. Most of the crewmembers were at their battle stations. Vani stood beside the helmsman, a scimitar in one hand and a flask of brandy in the other. Taking a swig of the alcoholic drink, she passed the flask to the man beside her. The flask made its way through the crewmembers rapidly, after Kel and her charges declined. It made its way into the crow's nest, where the man up there drained its last contents and threw the flask in a high arc. It flashed through the air, and landed with a splash that everyone could hear. Nobody needed a spyglass to see the pirate ship now. It was rapidly approaching on their starboard side. The only sounds were the creaking of the ship and the flap of the sails.

Vani stared straight ahead and placed one hand on the shoulder of Ayden, the helmsman. He turned to her, and she gave him a grateful nod before going to the rest of the crew. The crewmen parted for her, and soon the Copper Islander reached Kel.

"I'm afraid we may be detained for a bit," she started in a dry voice. "I do believe we are being paid a somewhat unwanted visit." Kel replied in a cool voice, her face expressionless,

"Oh well. It ought to be a lively visit, eh?" Vani's laugh eerily sounded out over the silent waves. _The Hand of Hell_ approached steadily, not quite in catapult range. It was silent, as was the _Morning Sage_. Suddenly, someone near the front of the ship began to sing,

_Hail, Mithros God of War_

_Come to us in bloody hour_

_Bring thy shield from thine afar_

_We call upon your power._

_Hail, Great Mother Goddess,_

_We call upon your hand,_

_Give us thine forgiveness_

_We journey to dark lands_

The rest of the crew slowly began to join in on the war song as the pirate ship began to approach catapult range. By the time they reached the last verse, their voices reached a roar.

_Hail Mithros God of War_

_Hail Great Mother Goddess_

_Bring thy weapons to our hands_

_Guide our devil enemies _

_To the Shadow Lands!_

And after the last line, there was complete silence. From _The Hand of Hell_ an arrow arced through the sky, plunging itself into the mast. Vani pulled it free. Unrolling the ultimatum, she scanned it and promptly tore it to pieces.

"Ready the catapults. All crew to arms!" she cried.

A/N: Greetings, all. I'm sorry I've been taking so long. I've been trying to upload a new story, and I finally used a different PC to do it, since mine is whacked. So I put up a new fanfic, a Wicked one for all you musical/book fans. Oh, and Knighthonor15, where are you? Or is it my fault? Did I forget to reply to your email? Message me if you're among the living, dear. You know my email address.


	29. Pirates

Chapter 29

Kel followed Vani as they wove their way to the helm of the ship. Ayden held grimly on to the great wooden wheel, staring at the pirate ship to starboard. Kel's brood had distributed themselves amongst the crew and were working valiantly alongside the other crewmembers. Tatsuya and Dan manned one of the Gift-catapults, while Fredrik stood ready to load the belowdeck Gift-manned cannons. A single flare of the Gift, no matter how small, would send a cannonball shooting out across to the enemy ship. Each of the six Gift cannons belowdecks were manned by a single Gifted crewmember. Akane, though knowing that the crow's nest would be the best place to rain down her shuriken, avoided the mast because of the risk of its toppling. She waited patiently as part of the _Morning Sage_'s "welcoming committee," the group of crewmembers ready to receive the pirates who would swing over to board the ship.

There was a flash of light as the arm of the catapult on the deck of the _Morning Sage_ snapped forward, sending an encapsulated ball of blazebalm onto the deck of the ship. Each of the blazebalm balls were constructed with two layers. A thin wooden shell would be filled with blazebalm and bits of broken glass and metal, and its outside coated in a powder mix called boomdust. On impact, the ball exploded on the deck of the ship, sending flaming shrapnel in all directions. The pirate crew scattered to avoid the rain of fire, and in retribution, opened the cannon-doors on the side of their ship facing the _Morning Sage_. With seven cannons to a side, the ship was deadly in its armament.

Light and smoke flared as cannonball after cannonball was launched between the ships. Akane watched detachedly as a cannonball ripped through railing and planks, only to glance the side of one of the crewmen. He screamed in agony as his left arm was torn to pieces and the force of the shot sent him into the water below. The two ships were side-by-side now, and Akane could see the pirates readying themselves to board the _Morning Sage._ They lowered broad wooden planks across to the other ship, and began swinging and climbing over. Akane bared her sais as the first wave of pirates attacked.

Tatsuya loaded a blazebalm ball onto the catapult and cranked the arm back with Big Dan's help. Once the arm was back to the angle they wanted it at, Tatsuya released the rope and the arm snapped forward. He stretched out his hands, guiding the ball as it flew through the air. It smashed onto the deck of _The Hand of Hell_, missing the mast by just a few feet. Flames caught, however, on a dry bit of rigging, and raced to the ropes. Pirates rushed to extinguish the flames. Dan grinned at Tatsuya wordlessly, his face streaked with grime and grease from getting the catapults to work. Tatsuya smiled back, baring his teeth in an almost feral grin. It was a deadly sort of target practice.

Fredrik panted as he wiped boomdust from his eyes. The Gift-cannon beside him was blistering hot. He wore thick leather gloves to protect his hands. Hefting the cannonball he held, he slid it down the barrel of the cannon, where it came to rest in a light puff of boom-dust. He peered through the cannon doorway, waiting to time his shot. The Gifted person standing beside the cannon was Evran, a young ten year old cabin girl who was adept at only minor healings. But all they needed was a flicker of her Gift, so she had provided it. They rolled the cannon forward, Evran surprisingly strong for her age. Fredrik lined up his shot, then began to count to himself. The girl behind him stood with her fingers just inches away from the fuse.

"3…2…1… FIRE!" Fredrik ducked to the side as Evran flicked her fingers and a flame of Gift appeared, immediately incinerating the magic-sensitive fuse. With a roar, the cannonball shot off, the cabin girl scrambling to avoid the cannon's rapid recoil. Fredrik glanced out the small porthole near the cannon to see how their shot fared. The cannonball crashed violently through the railing and across the deck, missing the helmsman and the wheel by inches. The cannonball did tear through a crewman, however, and sent him screaming to the ocean's depths. Huge wood splinters flew everywhere as another cannonball from the _Morning Sage_ ripped through the side of _The Hand_, just above the water-line. A cannonball from the enemy ship tore through the cannon bay, and the _Sage_'s crew scrambled for cover. Fredrik crouched behind the sheltering bulk of his cannon, covering Evran's huddled form with his own to protect her. He already had another cannonball close at hand.

Akane entangled the cutlass of an incoming pirate with a deft twist of her sais. Locking her two blades together, she twisted down and outwards, and the cutlass went flying. The owner of the cutlass was a hulking pirate. His oily brown locks were pulled to the back of his head by a leather thong, while his scraggly beard still held traces of his last meal. The detached part of Akane's brain noted that his last meal had probably been mashed potatoes and lamb, from looking at his chin. The pirate had borne the brunt of many bludgeoning weapons- his entire frame was a patchwork of scars and still-angry looking welts.

Akane's opponent pulled out a long knife from his belt. He tossed it from hand to hand as he approached the smaller girl who had unarmed him. Akane stood ready, balanced on the balls of her feet. The shouts and screams around them seemed to dim as the Yamani girl's focus narrowed to the form of her opponent. Darting in, she knocked his second weapon out of his hands. His eyes narrowed.

With a furious roar, the huge man charged Akane, his ham-sized hands outstreched. Akane, misjudging a step, slipped in a puddle of spilled grease beside a catapult and stumbled. The man reared back a beefy hand and punched at her. Akane threw an arm up in a clumsy block. His hand solidly connected with her forearm, and her left-hand sai went flying, only to clatter dangerously into a container of blazebalm balls. He pulled back his other arm and punched her again, twice in rapid succession. She blocked with her arms, or let the blows fall on her back. He backhanded her with a vicious laugh. Akane herself sagged to the floor, clutching her arm. The large man laughed roughly in triumph, bringing up a spiked boot to kick Akane over the edge and into the sea with a number of broken bones. Swiftly, Akane ducked out of her curled-over position and lunged.

Her sai connected solidly with the man's thigh. He roared in pain and dropped to his knees. One, or a few of the muscles in his thigh had torn from Akane's stab and twist maneuver, and his right leg was useless. Akane, meanwhile, had darted over and retrieved her other weapon from the container of blazebalm balls. With a single lunge, she plunged one sai into the man's gut, cutting upwards. With the other she slit his throat. Disengaging her weapons from the man's body, she heaved his dying form into the sea. She had no time to contemplate the bloodiness of her victory, as a pair of pirates now drew close to her. Twirling her sais, she turned to face them.

Kel was occupied in a fight with a pirate swordmaster. He darted in with his rapier, slashing at Kel and dancing out of her range again and again. She parried his blows, waiting for an opening. Her opponent was a Marenite, with dark skin and black hair. His long hair was tied back in a horse-tail at the base of his neck, and a finely-groomed mustache and goatee completed his dashing features. His very clothes were expensive-looking, the red velvet coat of a pirate first mate reflecting off of his shiny black leather boots and soft white leather breeches. His wide black belt held another sword and a knife, buckling at the front with a large brass buckle that had been stolen off of a Tortallan Naval Officer's uniform- it held King Jonathan's crest. Someone had etched a large "X" through the crest. His white linen shirt was untied at the neck, leaving his chiseled upper body exposed for ladies' enjoyment.

His skills were honed. Kel ducked and parried, waiting patiently. She very quickly snapped her sword out towards the pirate's belt. Cut in half, it fell, pulling at his breeches. The pirate was not distracted, though. He pulled up his breeches with one hand and continued attacking with the other. The pirate's face reddened in anger as her eyes betrayed her amusement. He attacked with more ferocity, leaving Kel several openings. Wanting to take the man alive, she lunged in, distracting her opponent with her sword blade. She locked blades with him, pressing against the shorter man's form with all of her weight and one hand on her sword. Before he could feint to the side, she tightened her grip on the dagger in her hand and smacked the pirate in the temple with the pommel of the dagger. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious. She dragged him into the room under the poop deck, tying his limp form to a support column with quick, efficient seaman's knots. She tore a strip off of his fine linen shirt and gagged him, depositing Inkjet beside the prone form. _**Do you mind keeping an eye on him for me?**_Kel asked, her mind-voice crackling with faint amusement. _.:It would be my pleasure:. _The darking wrapped himself around the man's wrists, over his bindings. Kel surged to her feet and ducked back out onto the deck. The entire process of tying up the man had taken a matter of seconds. Locking the door behind her, she turned to face the melee on deck.

Tatsuya reached into the container of blazebalm balls, only to feel frantically around and find none. They had run out. Big Dan was cranking back the arm of the catapult.

"We're out!" Tatsuya shouted to the other man. Big Dan shook his head.

"No we ain't," he shouted back. From a pouch at his waist, he drew a small lead ball the size of a marble.

"Are you mad?!" shouted Tatsuya, ducking a blow from a pirate's axe. Reaching out one hand, he reached out with lightning bolts at the tips of his fingers. His hands crackled and the bolts charged with power before lancing from his fingertips and shooting into the pirate, sending him into convulsions on deck. The power jolted through the other man's frame, electrocuting him. Tatsuya returned his attention to the catapult. Big Dan had his hands wrapped around the small steel ball. As he drew his hands away, Tatsuya could see that he had ensconced the ball in several layers of his Gift, each layer a crackling shell of pure magic spelled for destruction, wood rot, and fire. After a few seconds, the ball widened to the size of Tatsuya's head. Big Dan pulled to the side and released the catapult arm.

The ball of his Gift shot through the air, wavering in its direction. Tatsuya sank into his magic, pulling up his reserve strength. Focusing his will on the Gift-ball, he pushed away the winds resisting the ball's progress while strengthening its speed and course. He flicked out his hands, sending the ball smashing into _The Hand_'s mast. It tore a huge chunk out of the wood, leaving a hole that was almost as wide as the mast splintered and burning. A pirate plummeted from the poop deck as the huge mast shuddered and slowly fell to the side, its center weakened. Tatsuya could see the Pirates scrambled out of the way as the mast fell, shaking the ship. Vani saw the mast topple and killed her pirate quickly.

"All hands board ship!" She cried, and the _Morning Sage_'s crew began to push towards the pirate ship. The pirates had no option but to flee back to their ship or be captured. Some put down their weapons and huddled together, sitting in a group on the deck of the _Morning Sage._ The others fought to the death, while others still fled to _The Hand_. Vani directed some of the crew to tie up those who surrendered, while she let the others board _The Hand_.

Kel lunged over to the enemy ship, questing for the captain. Akane landed with a thud beside her. The deck of _The Hand _was slippery with water and blood, and wood splinters were everywhere. She ducked between pirates and crewmen of the _Morning Sage_, her eyes scanning the crowd for a hint of who the nefarious pirate captain was. The large man shouting orders? _No, that's first mate. __**How do you know?**_ Kel asked incredulously. _No proper pirate captain would leave himself such a large target at this point in the battle. Look. He's been killed. __**Wait- there's no chaos. Someone else took his place. That isn't the captain, then. **__That's what I've been telling you. What's that? _Brie narrowed Kel's vision to a flitter of movement in the shadows. Kel stared at it, then began to fight her way to the corner in question, an area in front of the poop deck.

When she got to the spot, she looked around warily. Just as Brie warned, _A presence, behind us-_ Kel felt two arms slip around her neck. Twisting in her captor's grasp, Kel stabbed back with her dueling knife, only to feel it knocked out of her grasp. She easily flicked out a knife from her wrist sheath, only to feel a cold blade pressed up against her neck. Kel's only response was to press the tip of her own knife gently into her captor's abdomen. A soft laugh echoed in her ear.

"Very clever." Kel masked her astonishment. The voice was female and Scanran- definitely not what she expected of the pirate captain. However, she was sure that this person was the captain.

"Not half as clever as I can be. Release me." The voice laughed again.

"But you have not yet seen the depths of my astonishing wit." Kel shrugged almost imperceptibly.

"So you and I are very clever. It seems we are at an impasse physically, though." The pirate nodded, her movement pressing her cheek against Kel's.

"It seems we are." Kel tightened her grip on her dagger, than shot out of her captor's hold, holding Gryphon up to point at the woman's neck. Her opponent drew a rapier from her belt. With a flick of her wrist, Kel struck the sword with Gryphon full on, breaking the rapier blade with strength alone. Gryphon's blade remained undamaged. With a startled look, the woman stared at the rapier's broken-off blade and hilt. Kel tilted her head to one side, keeping Gryphon trained at her opponent. The woman she faced was surprisingly young, perhaps younger than Kel herself but a year or two older than Akane. Beautiful auburn curls were pulled to the side and over the pirate's left shoulder. The other woman was lithe, her beauty like that of a cat, especially with her heart-shaped face and tanned skin. A black velvet coat with a high collar and white trim was secured over a white silk shirt and black cravat. Her leather belt was shiny black with a silver belt buckle.

Secured in the belt was a dagger with a surprisingly unadorned hilt. The woman's white leather breeches were tucked into knee-high black boots. A single ruby pin in the shape of a skull was nestled in the center of her cravat, winking eerily in the light. The coat's cuffs were wide, the white trim giving the whole coat a very elegant look. A scar ran diagonally across the woman's cheek, from the left side of her nose to wrap underneath her jawbone. To top off the image, a tricorn hat sat on the woman's head, its trim silver. Sweeping the hat off, the pirate captain gave an elegant bow.

"Normally I don't go into battle dressed like this, but I knew that this day _The Hand _ would fall. I needed to look good for my captors." Kel was suspicious, refusing to lower her blade.

"And so you attacked us. That wasn't your best idea, I think." The pirate replaced the hat and lounged against a nearby barrel.

"You know, it wasn't my idea. I had the strangest dream. All I could remember was being approached by the spirit of my dead father, Captain Jack. He told me this- seek out someone. So I heard about the fleet and decided to tag along magically shielded. I sent over the ultimatum- request really, and got attacked. That's how the story goes. You wouldn't happen to be Keladry no-longer-of-Mindelan, Shang Phoenix, otherwise known as Suzumi Baura, would you?" Kel hid her astonishment again.

"Why?" The other woman shrugged.

"I was told to seek you out. It had something to do with destiny. Oh. Good ole Daddy Jack told me to show you this, too." Unbuttoning her shirt and coat, the woman pulled back her cravat to reveal a flame shaped marking in the center of her chest, between her breasts. "Apparently I'm supposed to introduce myself as 'The Marked One'". Kel's blood ran cold. Turning to Brie, she tried to keep panic from her mind-voice. _**Marked One? I thought that was Fredrik's job! He's the swordmaster of us. Why- **__Silence, Keladry. I am studying this girl. _Kel shut up, keeping her sword level.

"We ought to stop the fighting, don't you think?" asked the pirate captain. Kel determined that the other woman meant her no harm and lowered her blade.

"We should. Do you have any suggestions?" The pirate drew what looked like a small collapsible spyglass from her pocket.

"Speak into this. Everyone will hear. Get up on the poop deck." Kel motioned for the pirate captain to precede her up the stairs. Drawing in a deep breath of air, Kel put the spyglass to her lips and shouted for all she was worth,

"STOP!" The sound roared over the two ships, and all motion ceased. The pirate captain came to stand beside Kel. She took the spyglass from Kel and spoke into it.

"Crewmen of _The Hand_, cease fighting. We have surrendered." There was a dangerous murmuring from the pirates. The pirate woman raised her voice. "I said, cease fighting! Put your weapons down, or by Mithros I'm going to shove them so far into you you'll never slouch again!" The pirates lowered their weapons. Kel took the spyglass back.

"Please, crewmen of the _Morning Sage_, put down your weapons. We have come to an agreement of sorts. I know I am not your captain, but for the sake of all our lives, please just listen to me." The crewmen of the _Morning Sage_ then lowered their weapons as well. Vani, who had crossed over to _The Hand_, was livid.

"Baura, I do not know who you think you are, but you have no right-" Kel cut her off with an uplifted hand.

"I have taken the captain of _The Hand_. As punishment for their crimes, let us leave those pirates here on the ship, without a mast, in the open ocean. If they are still here when the Princess's ship catches up with us, then let them punish these pirates. But let us take the captain and begone from this place." Vani gave her a searching look.

"Fine. Crewmen of the _Sage_, return to ship! Leave the prisoners here. We don't have room for them, anyway." The very confused crewmen of the _Morning Sage_ complied. Kel turned to the pirate captain.

"Let's get this mess sorted out." The woman nodded.

"I couldn't agree more."

The _Morning Sage _bobbed peacefully in the water beside _The Hand of Hell. _The water was eerily still, as was all noise. The ships were anchored, thanks to a nearby underwater mountain, and both crews were counting and mourning the dead. The pirates and crewmen of the _Morning Sage_ worked side by side as they sewed up body bags and sent the deceased to the sea floor in a mariner's funeral. Soon the two crews were seated solemnly on the deck of the _Morning Sage_. Kel, the pirate captain Lissa, and Captain Vani had been debating over what to do. Lissa had shot down Kel's original idea, claiming that she would rather die before she saw her crew abandoned. Vani wanted to hang the lot of them, and Kel claimed that, as highest ranking government official of all parties involved, she had the right to capture and punish Lissa as she wished. Vani conceded to allowing Lissa to remain with Kel, but the problem of where to put the remaining pirates was still there.

"Shall we leave them on the ocean?" Lissa slammed a fist down on the table between them, incensed.

"Nay, no one shall harm my crew. I shan't go anywhere, and we can start fighting again if that's the case, Mithros help me!" Kel raised both her hands.

"Ladies, please, let's stop this." Fredrik, who was standing nearby, harrumphed.

"That's why we need a male captain around these parts." Kel, her nerves already frayed by the current situation, lashed out one arm in controlled anger. A shuriken darted from her hand and pinned Fredrik's shirt to the mast by his collar.

"Fredrik. Be quiet." She said with deadly calm. He immediately tugged free and scrambled away from the women towards Tatsuya, who was helping tend the injured of both crews. Akane, having snuck up to stand behind Kel, offered her suggestion.

"A blood oath would hold the pirates. And they could replace the missing crew on the _Morning Sage_. Or you could hold them as prisoners, but that would take up space that we don't have. Make them swear a blood oath of fealty to you, or Tortall's crown, or the Island's Emperor, and you ought to be safe from any mischief." Kel nodded gratefully at her young charge. Vani pondered the tabletop as she turned the idea over in her mind, and Lissa looked at the quiet girl with surprised respect.

"I do think that's a good idea- most of my men were unwilling pirates, anyhow." Vani turned her attention to the pirate captain.

"What do you mean?" Lissa shrugged.

"Most of my men were captured from other ships. When _The Hand of Hell_ takes a ship, we give the survivors two options. Remain on their sinking ship with provisions enough to last two men four days, or come on _The Hand_ as crew. So most came on as crew. If we had too many, we'd take 'em to the slave ports in Jindazhen or Scanra- sell the useless ones. My father also used to make stops in Carthak, but that stopped when the new Carthaki Emperor came around." Vani turned her head and spat with disgust, expressing her opinion of the slave trade and piracy in general. Lissa's gaze turned icy.

"What? Did you think I could just up and reform? I like a life of adventure and combat- its all I've been raised to. Most corporate merchant ships don't take on women captains or sailors, and they never take women merchant marines. Mercenaries are an overly bloody bunch, and what's my only other option? Fealty to a single government? Tortall is too regular and strict, not to mention the fact that only those land-riding Queen's Riders take in women. Do you see women in the Tortallan Navy? I don't. And there is no bloody way I'm becoming some man's wife. You were lucky enough to find this ship- there aren't many independent merchant ships sailing the seas these days. Other than the _Morning Sage_, I know of only a few other independent ships, and I'd only need to use one hand to name them all." Vani drummed her fingers on the countertop.

"Hmph. Well, I agree with Akane here. We'll do the blood oath idea, with swearing fealty to the Tortallan crown, and if they're on the _Sage_, whoever is captain at the time." The crew won't like sailing with pirates, and if any of the pirates get uppity, I do own a cat'o'ninetails. Once we get to Tortall, we'll see about getting proper sailing careers for them. If they do get belligerent and try and return to piracy, the blood oath will get 'em, or we'll take them to be hanged." Kel rubbed her chin thoughtfully, her only outward sign of emotion.

"The idea is good. Thank you, Akane. Let us see it implemented right away. I believe Marcus is the best suited to fix the spell and write the oath to be signed. Where is he?" Vani stood and looked around for her chief healer.

"Hunh- I don't see him. Maybe he's belowdecks. Evran, come here." The cabin girl came up to the women.

"Go find Healer Lyons, please. We think he may be belowdecks." Evran nodded and ran off. As she left the poop deck, the young man Davy Hibbert came up, clutching a roll of parchment. He bowed slightly and handed it over to Vani, saying,

"The count of the dead, Captain." Vani unrolled it and scanned the paper. Her face hardened.

"Amongst the dead, we have lost Lathur Edmunsson, head cook. Evran Grimulf, first mate. Ayden Godshome, helmsman. Prabha Tamizhmani, assistant quartermaster. Wevaran Tobias, second rank crewman. Amongst the missing, we have Erich Waterstone, quartermaster, and…" Her voice faltered. Kel looked up.

"Who? What is it, Vani?" The captain took up the paper again, starting from the beginning.

"Amongst the missing, we have Erich Waterstone, quartermaster, and Marcus Lyons, Healer."


End file.
